Stress and Resilience in Combat-Related PTSD: Integration of Psychological Theory and Biological Mechanisms

Bruenig, Dagmar; Morris, Phillip E.; Young, Ross McD.; Voisey, Joanne

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_110-1

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 86 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Further, IL-6 has an evidenced association with attachment in other stressful contexts (e.g., attachment avoidance predicts inflammatory responses in marital conflicts; Gouin et al, 2009), as well as with bereavement more generally (Schultze-Florey et al, 2012). Elevated TNFα has been associated previously with distress, and is hypothesized to play a role in processing traumatic emotional events (Bruenig et al, 2014). Based on previous research identifying a connection between depression and elevated levels of chemokines in patients with a chronic illness (e.g., Pawlowski et al, 2014), we had reason to believe that a psychosocial factor such as attachment orientation may be associated with elevated chemokines including CCL4 and mental health in the current sample.…”

Section: 22mentioning

confidence: 99%

Attachment orientations and loss adjustment among bereaved spouses

LeRoy

Gabert

Garcini

et al. 2020

Psychoneuroendocrinology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Stressful life events such as losing a spouse can enhance inflammation. Responses to loss may depend, in part, on individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance. An individual's attachment orientation (i.e., an individual's levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance) reflects how an individual relates to others-specifically, whether they feel their trusted others will reliably be there for them, and whether they feel comfortable opening up to and depending on their relationship partners. This study investigated the association between attachment orientations and poor loss adjustment in recently bereaved individuals (N = 100). Poor loss adjustment was operationalized as greater levels of inflammation and grief symptoms, as well as poorer selfreported mental and physical health. Attachment anxiety was associated with increased stimulated monocyte IL-6 and CCL4 production, but not TNFα. Likewise, attachment anxiety was associated with greater grief symptoms as well as poorer mental and physical health. In contrast, attachment avoidance was not associated with inflammation; it was, however, associated with less grief symptoms as well as better self-reported mental and physical health. Our findings provide evidence that attachment orientations may be associated with loss adjustment and adverse health outcomes following the recent loss of a spouse.

show abstract