Morgenstern,
Amy (12/08) Saving grace: The role of attachment to God in the relationship
between adult attachment patterns and bereavement among the elderly (Carol
Magai, Ph.D.; Nicholas Papouchis, Ph.D.; Barry Ritzler, Ph.D.)
Research has indicated that bereavement is
associated with various health and psychological risks, particularly among
elderly adults. While adult attachment theorists have begun to discover some
associations between patterns of attachment and bereavement outcome, there
continue to be many unanswered questions. Based on the fact that theoretical
and empirical literature has suggested that God may serve as a substitute
attachment figure when important loved ones are lost, the current study aimed
to explore one potential moderator in the relationship between adult attachment
and bereavement: attachment to God. Unlike past studies that have relied
primarily on self-report measures of attachment and bereavement, this study
incorporated narrative coding measures of state of mind with respect to
attachment figures and to loss. 80 elderly participants (age 72 to 99 years)
from three distinct ethnic groups (Caucasian, African American, and Caribbean)
completed measures of adult attachment, attachment to God, and bereavement. The
hypothesis that there would be a negative correlation between security of
attachment and maladaptive bereavement was partially supported. Attachment to
God was not found to moderate this relation. Exploratory analyses revealed
support that there is a direct correspondence between adult attachment and
attachment to God. The impact of gender and ethnicity were explored as well as
implications for future research.
