Hostility as a manifestation of attachment disorders in depression

Objective. To analyze the relationship between hostility and attachment disorders in endogenous depression. Material and methods. The study included 49 patients with a diagnosis of depressive disorder, all of them completed the Simptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90R); the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire; the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R); Ich-Struktur-Test nach Ammon. The patients were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17). Results. At high levels of depression, the indicators of «hostility» (p=0.046), «destructive aggression» (p=0.04) and «deficit aggression» (p=0.005) are significantly higher. The severity of depression significantly correlates with the severity of «anxiety» in attachment (close relationships), as well as with pathological «narcissism», «destructive external self-delimitation», «deficient internal self-delimitation» (p<0.05). For the measure of depression, the regression model explains more than 76% of the variance, with the measures of «interpersonal sensitivity», «deficit narcissism», and «avoidance» in attachment making significant contributions. For the «hostility» the regression model explains about 62% of the variance, while, as in the analysis of «depression», a significant contribution is made by the indicators of «interpersonal sensitivity» and «avoidance», however, unlike «depression», the contribution of the «destructive narcissism» is noted in contrast to the «deficit narcissism». Conclusions. With severe depressive symptoms, indicator of hostility are increased. Hostility in depression is associated with factors caused by a violation of early interpersonal relationships (anxious attachment) (which causes increased sensitivity in relations with others, building a barrier between oneself and the external environment perceived as hostile), the narcissistic pathology, problems in emotional regulation.