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World Assumptions and Attachment Anxiety Mediate Associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences and DSO Symptoms
Paulo Ferrajão1,2, Joana Ramos1, Ask Elklit3
1Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Europeia, Lisbon, Portugal.
Abstract:
Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increases the risk of developing Disturbances in Self-Organization (DSO) symptoms among adolescents. This study examines whether world assumptions and attachment orientations mediate the relationship between ACEs and DSO symptoms in a sample of Faroese adolescents. Data were collected from 687 adolescents (mean age = 14.4 years, SD = 0.6) through self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesized indirect effects. Results show that higher exposure to multiple types of ACEs is associated with lower perceptions of self-worth and world meaningfulness, which are linked to higher levels of anxious attachment, and in turn, to more pronounced DSO symptoms. These findings highlight the role of attachment orientations and world assumptions in the association between ACEs and DSO symptoms, suggesting that these variables should be considered in prevention and intervention strategies for affected adolescents.
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