Attachment styles and associated psychosocial factors in patients at ultra-high risk for psychosis: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Patients with an ultra-high risk of psychosis (UHR) are more likely to transition to psychosis. Attachment style has also been associated with psychosis and other symptoms. Aims: To review attachment styles in UHR patients and to analyze related psychosocial factors. Ours is the first systematic review of attachment in this population. Method: We performed a systematic review of attachment and related psychosocial factors in UHR patients following the PRISMA methodology. Results: We identified five studies. The results revealed high rates of insecure attachment in this population (more than 80%). The UHR sample presented high levels of depression, anxiety, social anxiety, emotional reactivity, trauma, and poor mentalization. Premorbid social adjustment was a predictor of improvement in disorganization and negative symptoms. The rate of transition to psychosis was 10%. Attachment patterns accounted for 16.8% of the variance. This vulnerability for psychosis was also associated with poor mentalization. Conclusion: Early detection of patients with UHR and insecure attachment is crucial, since early intervention to address symptoms, mentalization, and attachment is feasible and may lead to an improvement in the remaining associated psychosocial related factors (secure style: better global functioning and less affective and anxious symptoms). PROSPERO ID440957