Exploring Medically Unexplained Pain and Attachment among Adolescents.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring Young People’s Pre-Treatment Narratives of Medically Unexplained Pain Through the Lens of Attachment.
IRAS ID
178064
Contact name
Lucyna Czwartos
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are those “…not conclusively explained by an organic disease” (Kolk et al., 2004, p. 379).
A number of models of MUS have been proposed. These seek explanations in different domains, including somatic causes, perception, illness behaviour and predisposing factors (Brown, 2004; Rief and Broadbent, 2007; Van Ravenzwaaij et al., 2010). Both the most current (Deary et al., 2007) and the earliest psychological models (Breuer and Freud, 1991) identified early experiences of adversity as factors, which can predispose to the development of MUS. Similarly, an association between MUS and insecure attachment styles has been theorised (Stuart and Noyes, 1999).
An attachment bond is a special form of affectional bond between a child and their parent/care giver, within which the child experiences security and comfort from the parent/care giver (Bowlby, 1969). If, for whatever reasons, the caregiver is not responsive to child’s emotional needs (e.g. due to their own difficulties or illness), the child adapts the best they can within such a relationship by developing insecure attachment strategies.
The hypothesis that there is an association between MUS and insecure attachment styles is supported by a growing number of research findings (Noyes et al., 2003; Taylor et al., 2012; Waldinger et al., 2006). Unfortunately, the majority of studies investigating the link between MUS and attachment styles have used quantitative designs (Ciechanowski et al., 2002; Taylor et al., 2012). The complexity and heterogeneity of MUS suggests it is necessary to conduct a qualitative investigation. Employing a qualitative design will enable a deeper understanding of the relationship between MUS-pain and attachment styles to be explored. The use of narrative approach (Murray, 2009) will allow the participants to provide free, detailed accounts of their experiences of MUS-pain, in the context of help-seeking, whilst reducing the influence of the interviewer to a minimum.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SW/0180
Date of REC Opinion
21 Aug 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion