Bonds of Resilience – A Longitudinal Perspective on Distress, Resilience and Attachment Orientations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Attachment theory emphasizes the relationship between attachment bonds and mental health. This longitudinal study integrates socio-psychological approaches regarding variations in attachment orientations during long-lasting crises. An online questionnaire was distributed to 2305 adults (April 2020—November 2021), with 1022 respondents, to examine distress and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anxious attachment orientation increased longitudinally and was found to be a risk factor for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, while avoidant attachment orientation decreased over the third measurement. Psychological variables were significantly associated with traumatic symptoms and explained 30.4% of the variance in traumatic symptoms and 18.8% of the variance in personal resilience. Our research provides insights regarding the different patterns of insecure attachment orientations over time when secure attachment orientation and resilience serve as protective factors during a long-lasting crisis. Cultivating secure attachment, resilience, and hope as protective factors may help leaders and therapists develop psycho-educational interventions to support mental health.