[Hostility as a manifestation of attachment disorders in depression].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between hostility and attachment disorders in endogenous depression.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 49 patients with a diagnosis of depressive disorder, all of them completed the Simptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90R); the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire; the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R); Ich-Struktur-Test nach Ammon. The patients were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17).

RESULTS: At high levels of depression, the indicators of «hostility» ( p =0.046), «destructive aggression» ( p =0.04) and «deficit aggression» ( p =0.005) are significantly higher. The severity of depression significantly correlates with the severity of «anxiety» in attachment (close relationships), as well as with pathological «narcissism», «destructive external self-delimitation», «deficient internal self-delimitation» ( p< 0.05). For the measure of depression, the regression model explains more than 76% of the variance, with the measures of «interpersonal sensitivity», «deficit narcissism», and «avoidance» in attachment making significant contributions. For the «hostility» the regression model explains about 62% of the variance, while, as in the analysis of «depression», a significant contribution is made by the indicators of «interpersonal sensitivity» and «avoidance», however, unlike «depression», the contribution of the «destructive narcissism» is noted in contrast to the «deficit narcissism».

CONCLUSIONS: With severe depressive symptoms, indicator of hostility are increased. Hostility in depression is associated with factors caused by a violation of early interpersonal relationships (anxious attachment) (which causes increased sensitivity in relations with others, building a barrier between oneself and the external environment perceived as hostile), the narcissistic pathology, problems in emotional regulation.