Attachment insecurities, caregiver burden, and psychological distress among partners of patients with heart disease

The aim of the present investigation was to examine the links among attachment orientations, caregiver burden, and psychological distress in a cardiac context. Participants (181 caregivers) were asked to complete validated self-report questionnaires, including the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-12, the Generalized Disorder Scale-7, and the Zarit Burden Interview-22. A socio-demographic questionnaire (age, sex, diagnosis, etc.) was also completed. All questionnaires were completed at one time (no follow-up). For this study, four mediation analyses were run using PROCESS macro for IBM SPSS to determine if caregivers' attachment orientation was indirectly related to psychological distress through its relationship with caregiver burden.