Stressful life events such as losing a spouse can enhance inflammation. Responses to loss may depend, in part, on individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance. An individual's attachment orientation (i.e., an individual's levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance) reflects how an individual relates to others-- specifically, whether they feel their trusted others will reliably be there for them, and whether they feel comfortable opening up to and depending on their relationship partners. This study investigated the association between attachment orientations and poor loss adjustment in recently bereaved individuals (N = 100). Poor loss adjustment was operationalized as greater levels of inflammation and grief symptoms, as well as poorer self-reported mental and physical health. Attachment anxiety was associated with increased stimulated monocyte IL-6 and CCL4 production, but not TNFα. Likewise, attachment anxiety was associated with greater grief symptoms as well as poorer mental and physical health. In contrast, attachment avoidance was not associated with inflammation; it was, however, associated with less grief symptoms as well as better self-reported mental and physical health. Our findings provide evidence that attachment orientations may be associated with loss adjustment and adverse health outcomes following the recent loss of a spouse.

中文翻译：

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丧亲配偶的依恋取向和损失调整

失去配偶等压力大的生活事件会加剧炎症。对失去的反应可能部分取决于依恋焦虑和回避的个体差异。一个人的依恋取向（即一个人的依恋焦虑和回避程度）反映了一个人与他人的关系——具体来说，他们是否觉得值得信赖的人会可靠地在他们身边，以及他们是否愿意向他人敞开心扉并依赖他人关于他们的关系伙伴。这项研究调查了最近失去亲人的人的依恋取向与不良损失调整之间的关联（N = 100）。不良的损失调整表现为炎症和悲伤症状的加剧，以及自我报告的心理和身体健康状况的恶化。依恋焦虑与受刺激的单核细胞 IL-6 和 CCL4 产生增加相关，但与 TNFα 无关。同样，依恋焦虑与更大的悲伤症状以及较差的身心健康有关。相比之下，回避依恋与炎症无关。然而，它与较少的悲伤症状以及更好的自我报告的心理和身体健康有关。我们的研究结果提供了证据，表明依恋取向可能与最近失去配偶后的损失调整和不良健康结果有关。