Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2026
10:43
Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
Published on: July 1, 2014
Attachment representations in Dutch veterans with and without deployment-related PTSD
D Harari1, M J Bakermans-Kranenburg, C S de Kloet
1Psychotrauma Diagnostic Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Attachment & Human Development
|February 26, 2010
Summary
Secure attachment does not protect against posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, unresolved trauma, identified via the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), strongly correlates with PTSD symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Investigating the role of attachment styles in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Replicating and extending previous research on secure attachment representations in veterans with PTSD.
- Examining the link between unresolved loss or trauma and PTSD symptomatology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that secure attachment representations offer a protective effect against developing PTSD.
- To explore the association between Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) classifications of unresolved trauma and PTSD severity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a control group design with 31 veterans diagnosed with PTSD and 29 trauma-exposed veterans without PTSD.
- Administered the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS).
- Compared the prevalence of secure attachment representations between patient and control groups, and between resolved and unresolved trauma subjects.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in the prevalence of secure attachment representations was found between veterans with PTSD and the control group.
- No difference in secure attachment representations was observed between subjects with resolved versus unresolved trauma.
- A strong correlation was identified between an unresolved state of mind regarding deployment-related trauma and total CAPS scores.
Conclusions:
- Secure attachment representations do not appear to have a protective effect in the development of PTSD.
- An unresolved state of mind concerning trauma, particularly deployment-related trauma, is strongly associated with PTSD symptomatology.
- The correlation between unresolved trauma and PTSD may stem from a shared underlying issue of lack of integration.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
01:20Traumatic Memory
Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual remembers mundane...
01:28Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles
Attachment theory, developed initially to explain infant–caregiver bonds, has been extended to illuminate patterns of intimacy in adult romantic relationships. Psychologists Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver proposed that the attachment styles observed in infancy form a framework for how individuals approach emotional closeness and conflict in adulthood. These attachment styles—secure, avoidant, and anxious—are linked to enduring patterns of behavior and emotional regulation in adult relationships.
01:24Attachment Styles
Jeffrey Simpson's attachment theory suggests that early caregiver relationships shape lasting patterns of behavior and emotional regulation, known as attachment styles. These patterns are organized along two key dimensions: self-esteem and interpersonal trust. The intersection of these dimensions produces four primary attachment styles that typically persist throughout life and significantly influence how individuals form and maintain relationships.Secure Attachment StyleIndividuals with a...
03:34Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships.
01:30Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously termed multiple personality disorder, is a complex psychological condition characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states. Each identity exhibits unique patterns of behavior, voice, and mannerisms and may possess separate memories and emotional responses. The alternating control between identities can result in memory gaps and challenges in recalling daily activities, often exacerbating the individual's...