Adult Attachment And Relationship Satisfaction In Couples Facing Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating neurological disorder associated with significant relationship distress. Although greater insecure attachment (dysfunctional internal working models that guide one‟s approach to relationships) has been associated with worse relationship satisfaction, this association has been overlooked in MS. The actor-partner interdependence model was used to evaluate the effects of one‟s own (actor) and one‟s partner‟s (partner) attachment on dyadic adjustment, and whether they differed by sex or role. The effect of matching of attachment between partners (dyadic attachment) was evaluated, and hostility was examined as a mediator of effects. 110 MS couples completed self-report questionnaires. Results showed significant actor and partner effects of greater insecure attachment on worse dyadic adjustment, and sex emerged as a moderator. Dyadic attachment was significantly related to dyadic adjustment. Hostile conflict partially mediated actor and partner effects of insecure attachment. Implications for the greater attachment literature and relevance to MS are discussed.