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Pre-event attachment anxiety and avoidance predict posttraumatic stress symptom severity - Results from a
Lutz Wittmann1, Sonja Protić2, Mark Bosmans3
1International Psychoanalytic University Berlin, Stromstraße 1, 10555 Berlin, Germany.
Journal of Anxiety Disorders
|November 19, 2023
Summary
Insecure attachment styles predict post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in adults. Pre-trauma attachment anxiety and avoidance influence PTSD severity and remission following traumatic events.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Attachment theory posits that early relationship patterns influence adult emotional regulation and responses to stress.
- Insecure attachment, characterized by anxiety or avoidance, is linked to psychopathology, but its predictive role for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the general population requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the predictive value of pre-event attachment orientations (anxiety and avoidance) for the development and course of PTSD symptoms in a general adult population.
- To determine if attachment styles independently predict PTSD symptom severity and remission over time, controlling for relevant covariates.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study involving 270 Dutch adults assessed for attachment orientations, anxiety, and depression in 2010 (T0).
- PTSD symptoms were assessed at three time points in 2012 (T1, T2, T3) for traumatic events occurring within the preceding year.
- Latent growth curve modeling was employed to analyze the relationship between attachment styles and PTSD symptom trajectories, adjusting for gender, age, and pre-event psychopathology.
Main Results:
- Attachment anxiety significantly predicted higher initial PTSD symptom severity (T1).
- Attachment avoidance was associated with lower initial PTSD symptom levels.
- Attachment anxiety also predicted greater remission of PTSD total scores over time, potentially due to regression to the mean.
- Together, attachment anxiety and avoidance explained 7.4% of the variance in initial PTSD severity and 6.0% in PTSD remission.
Conclusions:
- Insecure attachment orientations are significant predictors of PTSD symptoms in the general population.
- Pre-traumatic factors, specifically attachment styles, are crucial for predicting post-traumatic stress.
- Clinical assessment and intervention should consider attachment orientations when working with trauma survivors to improve outcomes.
Keywords:
Attachment anxiety and avoidanceGeneral populationLatent growth curve analysisPosttraumatic stress disorderProspective designMore Related Videos
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