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General psychology

Disorganised attachment

Disorganised attachment is the fourth adult attachment style. Disorganised-attached people want closeness and fear it simultaneously, often due to early experiences where the caregiver was both source of comfort and source of threat.

It is the rarest style (5–10% of adults) and the most strongly linked to early trauma. Therapy benefits are substantial but typically take longer than for anxious or avoidant styles.

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Tests that measure it