Pre-event attachment anxiety and avoidance predict posttraumatic stress symptom severity - Results from a longitudinal population-based study.

J Anxiety Disord

Centerdata, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, the Netherlands; TRANZO, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, the Netherlands.

Published: January 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • Attachment-related anxiety and avoidance are linked to higher risks of developing PTSD after traumatic events, but the extent of pre-event attachment influences PTSD symptoms in the general population is not fully understood.
  • A study with 270 adults assessed attachment styles and mental health symptoms, measuring PTSD severity at multiple points after trauma.
  • The findings indicate that insecure attachment styles, particularly high anxiety, predict worse PTSD symptoms, highlighting the importance of addressing these factors in trauma treatment.

Article Abstract

Attachment-related anxiety and avoidance have been identified as risk factors for psychopathology following traumatic events. However, the predictive value of pre-event attachment orientations for PTSD symptoms in the general population remains unclear. Attachment anxiety and avoidance, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression, were assessed in autumn 2010 (T0) in 270 adult members of a Dutch research panel. PTSD symptoms were assessed in April (T1), August (T2), and December (T3) 2012 for events occurring within one year before T1. The predictive value of attachment orientations for severity and remission of PTSD cluster and total scores was estimated by latent growth curve analyses controlling for gender, age, and pre-event psychopathology. Attachment anxiety predicted higher posttraumatic stress severity at T1, while attachment avoidance predicted lower initial posttraumatic stress levels, together adding 7.4 % independently explained variance. Higher attachment anxiety was related to more remission of PTSD total scores (6.0 % independently explained variance) which might be understood as an effect of regression to the mean. In conclusion, insecure attachment orientation predicts PTSD symptoms in the general population. Our results advocate the significance of pre-traumatic factors for the prediction of posttraumatic stress and the consideration of attachment orientations in clinical work with trauma survivors.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102796DOI Listing

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