Adult attachment, posttraumatic growth and negative emotions among former political prisoners

Abstract

Although traumatic events are generally associated with negative psychosocial consequences, trauma survivors also report positive changes in themselves, human relationships and spirituality. Our aims are, first to study associations between exposure to torture and ill-treatment and posttraumatic growth and negative emotions, and second, to examine the role of adult attachment in moderating the association between exposure and positive growth. The participants were 275 Palestinian men imprisoned in a political context. They completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), adult attachment questionnaire (AAQ) and reported exposure to traumatic events. The results show that a high level of torture and ill-treatment was associated with a low level of posttraumatic growth and a high level of negative emotions. However, adult attachment style moderated that association, among men with secure attachment exposure to torture and ill-treatment was associated with a high level of posttraumatic growth, whereas among insecure-avoidant men exposure was associated with relatively higher level of negative emotions. Main effects show that men with secure attachment reported generally more posttraumatic growth, i.e., personal strength, positive affiliation to others and spiritual change, while insecure-preoccupied attachment was associated with negative emotions. Finally, favourable socio-economic characteristics were associated with posttraumatic growth: men with high professional position, steady employment, and good economic situation reported more personal strength and positive affiliation to others. Of demographic factors, only education was associated with attachment, secure men being more educated.

The associations between adult attachment, posttraumatic symptoms, and posttraumatic growth

“…Indeed, there is evidence in support of this proposal. Salo et al (2005) found positive associations between secure attachment and perceived PTG, in particular for the personal strength, affiliation to others, and spiritual change subscales of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). However, the evidence for a relationship between secure attachment and PTG is not consistent.…”

“…Attachment anxiety was a unique predictor of posttraumatic stress and trauma-related psychological problems in several studies (Besser & Neria, 2010; 2012; Besser, Neria, & Haynes, 2009;Salo, Qouta, & Punamaki, 2005), whereas avoidant attachment was associated with PTS in only one study (O'Connor & Elklit, 2008). One study collapsed anxiety and avoidance into a general category of insecure attachment and found a positive association between insecure attachment and PTS (Ghafoori, Hierholzer, Howsepian, & Boardman, 2008).…”

Post-traumatic growth, distress and attachment style among women with breast cancer

“…war) and to experience positive changes (in Israeli undergraduates (Mikulincer et al,2006) and political prisoners (Salo et al, 2005). Another study reported a negative association between attachment-avoidance and perceived PTG in a sample composed of university staff and students (Gizem Arikan et al, 2016).…”

Die Bindungstheorie und ihre Relevanz für die Psychotherapie

“…Clough u. Cloitre 2006) Salo et al (2005). haben in einer Stichprobe traumatisierter politischer Gefangener beschrieben, dass die Bindungssicherheit insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit schweren Traumatisierungen die Entwicklung positiver Beziehungen zu anderen fördert und die Prä-valenz negativer Emotionen mindert, also einen wichtigen Schutzfaktor darstellt.…”