The burden of shame: mediating attachment and flourishing in psychodynamic training programs

Introduction: Graduate student burnout and mental health struggles have received much attention; however, there has been less focus on graduate student flourishing and the impact of attachment dimensions and internalized shame. Psychodynamic theorists emphasize the importance of addressing shame, as it often influences well-being and interferes with openness and vulnerability. Materials and methods: The current exploratory study explored flourishing in a sample of 53 graduate students enrolled in two Mid-Atlantic psychodynamically oriented professional psychology programs. Participants completed the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale–Short Form (ECR-S), Flourishing Index (FI), and Internalized Shame Scale (ISS). Statistical analyses included Pearson correlations, multiple regression, and path analysis. Results: Pearson correlations revealed that flourishing was significantly negatively related to attachment anxiety (r = −0.35), attachment avoidance (r = −0.33), and internalized shame (r = −0.67). In a simultaneous multiple regression, internalized shame was the only significant unique predictor of flourishing (β = −0.64, p < 0.001; R2 = 0.45). A path analysis revealed that attachment anxiety (β = 0.35) and avoidance (β = 0.42) had significant direct effects on shame, which in turn predicted reduced flourishing (β = −0.64); the indirect effects of anxiety (β = −0.23, p = 0.008) and avoidance (β = −0.27, p = 0.006) on flourishing through shame were significant, whereas the direct effects of attachment on flourishing were not. Conclusions: Results highlight the importance of shame when examining graduate student flourishing and that attachment may relate to well-being through shame-based mechanisms. Self-report measures and sample size are discussed as limitations. Implications for future research, programmatic intervention, and training are addressed.