Attachment Styles, Perceived Stress Levels and Coping Styles of Chronic Insomnia Patients

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Insomnia is one of the most frequent sleep disorders. Unhelpful cognitive processes and interpersonal factors play a role in insomnia. The aim of the present study is to investigate the perceived stress levels, attachment, and coping styles of individuals diagnosed with chronic insomnia and the relationship between these parameters. METHODS: The study group consisted of 40 patients diagnosed with insomnia according to International Classification of Sleep Disorders and 40 healthy controls. The sociodemographic data form, insomnia severity index (ISI), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), perceived stress questionnaire (PSQ), coping with stress scale, and inventory of close relationship experiences 2 were applied. RESULTS: The mean ISI score of the patients was 19.5±5.5, and the mean total PSQI score was 14.3±3.7. The mean PSQ score in the patient group was 31.0±8.9 and was significantly higher than controls (p<0.001). When the coping styles were examined, the helpless style was higher in the patient group (p=0.002), while the self-confident and optimistic style were significantly higher in the control group (p=0.036, p=0.001). Looking at the attachment styles, the anxious attachment was significantly higher in chronic insomnia patients than in the control group (p=0.022). Significant correlations were found between ISI score and anxious attachment, PSQ score, self-confident, helpless, and optimistic styles (r=0.266, p=0.017; r=0.607, p=0.001; r=–0.254, p=0.023; r=0.278, p=0.012; and r=–0.380, p=0.001). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Cognitive processes and interpersonal factors are important factors that predispose, trigger, and maintain chronic insomnia. Understanding the relationship between insomnia, stress, coping, and attachment styles will both provide an understanding of the disease process and will guide the treatment.