Attachment and Psychological Adaptation in High Exposure Survivors of the September 11th Attack on the World Trade Center

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between individual differences in adult attachment and psychological adaptation in a sample of high-exposure survivors of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression were assessed via self-report 7 and 18 months after the attacks. In addition, friends and relatives were asked to provide evaluations of participants' adjustment before and after the attacks. Findings indicate that securely attached individuals exhibited fewer symptoms of PTSD and depression than insecurely attached individuals and were viewed by friends and relatives as showing an increase in adjustment following the attacks. Highly dismissing adults were viewed by their friends and family as showing neither increments nor decrements in adjustment, despite the fact that highly dismissing people self-reported relatively high levels of PTSD and depression.

The Role of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Perceived Stress: Preliminary Evidence for the Moderating Role of Attachment Style

“…This supports previous findings regarding the relationship between attachment security and stress (e.g., Fraley, Fazzari, Bonanno, & Dekel, 2006;Krenke-Seiffge, 2006;Mikulincer & Florian, 1998). In addition, this finding highlights the importance of stress reduction interventions for insecurely attached persons who are at greater risk for stress-related problems, including poor sleep quality (Hall et al, 2000), substance abuse and relapse (Brady & Sonne, 1999;Sinha, 2001), and reduced immune functioning (Segerstrom & Miller, 2004).…”

Post-traumatic stress disorder, resilience and vulnerability

“…Securely attached individuals exhibit fewer symptoms of PTSD (Fraley et al, 2006), whereas an avoidant style of attachment predicts increase in PTSD symptoms (Scarpa et al, 2006).…”

Generalized Multiplicative Model for Predicting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After Natural Disasters: Theoretical Considerations

“…Kobak and Sceery [27] propose that each attachment style relates to distinct patterns of negative affect regulation, with avoidant individuals tending to cut-off from anger and distress, restricting acknowledgement of distress, negatively perceiving social support and expressing hostility within social relationships. This finding provides indirect support for the hypothesis that avoidance of threat-related cues, thoughts and feelings, combined with avoidance of attachment related worries, may be beneficial within the context of recovery from a traumatic event [41].…”

“…There is debate within the literature about the role of avoidance in the onset and perseverance of PTSD symptoms [41]. Research has highlighted that the negative association between PTSD severity and secure and dismissing attachment may be attributable to the fact that both attachment styles are characterized by a positive view of the self and thus provide a protective factor when dealing with adversity [42].…”