THE CONTRIBUTION OF ADULT ATTACHMENT STYLE TO THE ADJUSTMENT TO INFERTILITY

This study examines the contribution of adult attachment style to the adjustment to infertility Both husbands and wives of 80 infertile coup les undergoing medical treatment completed the Attachment Style Scale, the Mental Health Inventory and the Dyadic Adjustment Stale. One year later, data were collected on whether women became pregnant. Diagnosi s of male infertility was significantly more distressing than diagnosi s of female infertility. Significant differences were found among atta chment groups: secure persons, either men or women, reported more a el l-being, less distress and more dyadic adjustment than avoidant and an xious-ambivalent persons. Partners of secure persons also reported sig nificantly higher levels of well-being and dyadic adjustment and signi ficantly lower levels of distress than partners of anxious-ambivalent persons. However, these effects of attachment style were significant m ainly when male infertility was diagnosed. Husbands' secure attachment made a significant positive contribution to pregnancy likelihood and this effect was mediated by adjustment measures. Results are discussed in terms of attachment theory.