Objectives:　Early　childhood　experiences　influence　cognitive-emotional　development,　with　insecure　attachment　predisposing　to　potential　psychopathologies.　We　investigated　whether　narratives　containing　attachment-specific　speech　patterns　shape　listeners’　emotional　responses　and　social　intentions.　Design:　First,　149　healthy　participants　listened　to　three　narratives　characteristic　for　secure,　insecure-preoccupied,　and　insecure-dismissing　attachment.　Following　each　narrative,　the　well-being　and　interpersonal　reactivity　as　a　particular　aspect　of　emotional　reactivity　of　the　listener　were　assessed.　Likewise,　psychopathological　aspects　of　personality　were　evaluated.　A　follow-up　study　compared　10　psychosomatic　patients　with　a　current　depressive　episode　and/or　personality　disorder　with　distinct　depressive　symptoms　and　10　age-　and　gender-matched　healthy　controls.　Methods:　Effects　of　narratives　on　listeners’　mental　state　were　tested　with　repeated-measures　AN(C)OVA.　Mediating　effects　in　the　listener　(attachment　characteristics　in　the　context　of　personality　traits)　were　explored.　Narrative　effects　were　compared　between　patients　and　controls.　Results:　Listening　to　insecure　attachment　narratives　reduced　well-being　in　controls.　Nevertheless,　tendency　for　social　interaction　was　highest　following　the　insecure-preoccupied　narrative.　Importantly,　listeners’　individual　attachment　characteristics　mediated　the　relationship　between　well-being/interpersonal　reactivity　following　the　insecure-preoccupied　narrative　and　levels　of　psychopathology. Furthermore,　compared　with　healthy　participants,　patients　showed　higher　emotional　reactivity　following　exposure　to　the　insecure-preoccupied　narrative,　represented　by　lower　well-being　and　lower　estimation　of　friendliness　towards　the　narrator.　Conclusions:　Exposure　to　attachment-specific　speech　patterns　can　result　in　dysphoric　mood　changes.　Specifically,　the　insecure-preoccupied　narrative　influenced　the　listeners’　emotional　state,　which　was　further　mediated　by　the　individual　attachment　patterns　and　psychopathological　personality　characteristics.　This　deepens　the　understanding　of　interpersonal　processes,　especially　in　psychotherapeutic　settings.　Practitioner　points:　In　clinical　populations,　insecure-preoccupied　attachment　has　a　high　prevalence.　In　this　study,　listening　to　a　narrative　characteristic　of　insecure-preoccupied　speech　patterns　resulted　in　reduced　well-being　in　healthy　listeners.　Patients　with　depressive　symptoms　showed　a　higher　emotional　reactivity　towards　the　insecure-preoccupied　narrative　compared　to　healthy　controls.　While　working　on　(childhood)　traumata,　for　example,　in　group　therapy　or　inpatient　settings,　therapists　should　raise　awareness　to　possible　mood　changes　through　discourse-conveyed　attachment　characteristics　in　listeners　as　a　‘side　effect’.　©　2019　The　Authors.　Psychology　and　Psychotherapy:　Theory,　Research　and　Practice　published　by　John　Wiley　&　Sons　Ltd　on　behalf　of　British　Psychological　Society