Investigating a visualisation task
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Priming Attachment Security in A Forensic Mental Health Population to Investigate the Potential Benefits for Improving Wellbeing and Reducing Distress
IRAS ID
255034
Contact name
Erica Hepper
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Surrey: Research Integrity & Governance Office
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
00, 00
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
The study is designed to prime attachment security in adults. These adults will be service users in forensic mental health services. Mood disorders are commonly found in patients detained in a secure forensic mental health unit and there is a high rate of interpersonal aggression, both verbal and physical.
Attachment is the process by which an individual in early life i.e. a child, experiences a bond and connection with a caregiver. This relationship is known to have lifelong effects both positive and negative, dependent on how the attachment was formed. It is known that mental representations are developed based on our early attachment experiences.
Priming attachment security describes a process whereby individuals are presented with words or images that activate (or remind them) of those mental representations hence also reactivating the associated positive emotions of the attachment relationship.
Some individuals may not have had positive attachment relationships in childhood but it is known that they can activate mental representations of a typical positive relationship and so can also benefit from activating the associated emotions.It is thought that priming secure attachment in this population will reduce distress associated with low mood and anxiety and it will increase empathy, if so future research could test whether it could be developed into an intervention.
Priming secure attachment interventions have been tested widely on undergraduate students and also on some individuals with diagnoses of depression. The majority of results show a positive effect on mood. Participants in this study will complete a series of questionnaires and visualisation tasks with the study aiming to take no more than 60 minutes, it will be conducted on a one to one basis with the primary researcher and a full debrief will take place immediately afterwards.REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0128
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jul 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion