How does neurochemistry affect attachment styles in humans?: The role of oxytocin and the endogenous opioid system in sociotropy and autonomy - a systematic review

Anita Snowdon-Farrell; Chiara Attal; Naghmeh Nikkheslat; Carmine Pariante; Allan H. Young; Roland Zahn

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105994

How does neurochemistry affect attachment styles in humans? The role of oxytocin and the endogenous opioid system in sociotropy and autonomy - a systematic review

Anita Snowdon-Farrell, Chiara Attal, Naghmeh Nikkheslat, Carmine Pariante, Allan H. Young, Roland Zahn^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Oxytocin was hypothesised to play a critical role in forming and maintaining secure attachments, shown to confer resilience against affective disorders. The endogenous opioid system has also emerged as a key player in attachment dynamics. In this pre-registered systematic review, we investigated whether individual differences in the functioning of these neurochemical systems are related to attachment styles, following PRISMA guidelines. As predicted, individuals with higher oxytocin function exhibited more secure attachment styles (p=.006, n=12 studies) and less insecure attachment styles (p=.021, n=16 studies). Contrary to our hypothesis, we found no association of endogenous opioid function with insecure (p=0.549, n=11 studies) or secure attachment styles (p=.065, n=11 studies). The lack of association between endogenous mu-opioid function and attachment styles remains inconclusive due to inconsistencies in the neurochemical measurements and lack of eligible studies. Therefore, further investigations into the role of the endogenous opioid system in attachment styles are needed. Our findings corroborate the hypothesis that individual differences in oxytocin function relate to differences in attachment styles.

Original language	English
Article number	105994
Journal	Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
Volume	169
Early online date	26 Dec 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105994
Publication status	Published - Feb 2025

Keywords

Attachment style
Autonomy
Endogenous opioid system
Oxytocin
Sociotropy

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10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105994

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title = "How does neurochemistry affect attachment styles in humans?: The role of oxytocin and the endogenous opioid system in sociotropy and autonomy - a systematic review",

abstract = "Oxytocin was hypothesised to play a critical role in forming and maintaining secure attachments, shown to confer resilience against affective disorders. The endogenous opioid system has also emerged as a key player in attachment dynamics. In this pre-registered systematic review, we investigated whether individual differences in the functioning of these neurochemical systems are related to attachment styles, following PRISMA guidelines. As predicted, individuals with higher oxytocin function exhibited more secure attachment styles (p=.006, n=12 studies) and less insecure attachment styles (p=.021, n=16 studies). Contrary to our hypothesis, we found no association of endogenous opioid function with insecure (p=0.549, n=11 studies) or secure attachment styles (p=.065, n=11 studies). The lack of association between endogenous mu-opioid function and attachment styles remains inconclusive due to inconsistencies in the neurochemical measurements and lack of eligible studies. Therefore, further investigations into the role of the endogenous opioid system in attachment styles are needed. Our findings corroborate the hypothesis that individual differences in oxytocin function relate to differences in attachment styles.",

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author = "Anita Snowdon-Farrell and Chiara Attal and Naghmeh Nikkheslat and Carmine Pariante and Young, {Allan H.} and Roland Zahn",

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doi = "10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105994",

language = "English",

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journal = "Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews",

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How does neurochemistry affect attachment styles in humans? The role of oxytocin and the endogenous opioid system in sociotropy and autonomy - a systematic review. / Snowdon-Farrell, Anita; Attal, Chiara; Nikkheslat, Naghmeh et al.
In: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, Vol. 169, 105994, 02.2025.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

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T2 - The role of oxytocin and the endogenous opioid system in sociotropy and autonomy - a systematic review

AU - Snowdon-Farrell, Anita

AU - Attal, Chiara

AU - Nikkheslat, Naghmeh

AU - Pariante, Carmine

AU - Young, Allan H.

AU - Zahn, Roland

PY - 2025/2

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N2 - Oxytocin was hypothesised to play a critical role in forming and maintaining secure attachments, shown to confer resilience against affective disorders. The endogenous opioid system has also emerged as a key player in attachment dynamics. In this pre-registered systematic review, we investigated whether individual differences in the functioning of these neurochemical systems are related to attachment styles, following PRISMA guidelines. As predicted, individuals with higher oxytocin function exhibited more secure attachment styles (p=.006, n=12 studies) and less insecure attachment styles (p=.021, n=16 studies). Contrary to our hypothesis, we found no association of endogenous opioid function with insecure (p=0.549, n=11 studies) or secure attachment styles (p=.065, n=11 studies). The lack of association between endogenous mu-opioid function and attachment styles remains inconclusive due to inconsistencies in the neurochemical measurements and lack of eligible studies. Therefore, further investigations into the role of the endogenous opioid system in attachment styles are needed. Our findings corroborate the hypothesis that individual differences in oxytocin function relate to differences in attachment styles.

AB - Oxytocin was hypothesised to play a critical role in forming and maintaining secure attachments, shown to confer resilience against affective disorders. The endogenous opioid system has also emerged as a key player in attachment dynamics. In this pre-registered systematic review, we investigated whether individual differences in the functioning of these neurochemical systems are related to attachment styles, following PRISMA guidelines. As predicted, individuals with higher oxytocin function exhibited more secure attachment styles (p=.006, n=12 studies) and less insecure attachment styles (p=.021, n=16 studies). Contrary to our hypothesis, we found no association of endogenous opioid function with insecure (p=0.549, n=11 studies) or secure attachment styles (p=.065, n=11 studies). The lack of association between endogenous mu-opioid function and attachment styles remains inconclusive due to inconsistencies in the neurochemical measurements and lack of eligible studies. Therefore, further investigations into the role of the endogenous opioid system in attachment styles are needed. Our findings corroborate the hypothesis that individual differences in oxytocin function relate to differences in attachment styles.

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KW - Autonomy

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KW - Sociotropy

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How does neurochemistry affect attachment styles in humans? The role of oxytocin and the endogenous opioid system in sociotropy and autonomy - a systematic review

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