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Wei Q, Liu J, Yin W, Pan S, Dai C, Zhou L, Jiang X, Wang C, Wu J. Association between childhood emotional abuse and non-suicidal self-injury among Guangxi adolescents in China: A moderated mediation model. J Affect Disord 2024:S0165-0327(24)01171-6. [PMID: 39029701 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.07.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood Emotional Abuse (CEA) is a known risk factor for Non Suicidal Self-injury (NSSI), which could have devastating repercussions. This study aimed to establish whether Parent-Child Attachment (PCA) and depressive symptoms mediated the CEA-NSSI relationship, as well as whether school connectedness moderated both the direct and indirect relationships between CEA and NSSI. METHODS Between November and December 2022, 7447 Chinese adolescents in high schools were surveyed through multi-stage cluster random sampling. The participants completed self-reported questionnaires that assessed CEA, PCA, depressive symptoms, school connectedness, and NSSI. Relationships between these variables were examined through moderated mediation analysis using SPSS macro-PROCESS. RESULTS After controlling for sociodemographic variables, we found that CEA correlated positively with NSSI through two different pathways: the mediating role of depressive symptoms and the chain-mediating role of both PCA and depressive symptoms. Moreover, school connectedness could moderate the direct and indirect relationships between CEA and NSSI. LIMITATIONS The study's cross-sectional design does not allow for causal inferences. CONCLUSIONS Overall, PCA, depressive symptoms, and school connectedness could affect the CEA-NSSI relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoyue Wei
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Jianbo Liu
- Department of Child Psychiatry of Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, School of mental health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518003, China
| | - Wenwen Yin
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Shuibo Pan
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Chenyangzi Dai
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Linhua Zhou
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Xiaoyu Jiang
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Chunyan Wang
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Junduan Wu
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Department of Guangxi Medical College, 8 Kunlun Road, Nanning 530023, China.
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Haag K, Halligan SL, Hiller R, Skeen S, Tomlinson M. Long-term associations between early attachment and parenting and adolescent susceptibility to post-traumatic distress in a South African high-risk sample. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:921-931. [PMID: 38111273 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been proposed that children and young people living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are not only exposed more frequently to trauma but also have a higher likelihood of encountering traumas of greater severity than those living in high-income countries (HICs). This may lead to higher rates of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). However, developmental pathways to risk or resilience after trauma exposure in LMICs are underresearched. METHODS We examined early parenting and attachment as potentially important formative factors for later stress reactivity in a longitudinal cohort of South African children (N = 449). Parenting and attachment were assessed at child age 18 months, and interpersonal trauma exposure, PTSS and parenting stress were measured at 13 years (N = 333; core sample with data on all measures: N = 213). Following a vulnerability-stress approach, separate regression models were run to investigate whether parent-child attachment at 18 months, parental sensitivity and intrusiveness during play at 12 months, and current parenting stress at 13 years, interacted with adolescents' extent of interpersonal trauma exposure to predict their PTSS levels at 13 years. RESULTS We found no predictive effects of either early attachment or current parenting stress in relation to child PTSS. There was some evidence for predictive influences of parental early intrusiveness and sensitivity on adolescent outcomes, though associations were unexpectedly positive for the latter. No interaction effects supporting a vulnerability-stress model were found. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we found limited evidence that elements of the early parent-child environment predict child risk/resilience to trauma in LMIC children. Future studies should include more frequent assessments of relevant constructs to capture changes over time and consider further what comprises adaptive parenting in high-risk contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah L Halligan
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Rachel Hiller
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Sarah Skeen
- Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mark Tomlinson
- Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queens University, Belfast, UK
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Li Y, Ye Y, Zhou X. Parent-child relationship, parenting behaviors, and adolescents' depressive symptoms after an earthquake: unraveling within-adolescent associations from between-adolescent differences. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 33:2301-2318. [PMID: 37924379 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02319-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
This study assessed temporal associations between parent-child relationship, parenting behaviors (i.e., warmth, rejection, and overprotection), and adolescents' depressive symptoms after trauma, using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models to distinguish between- and within-adolescent differences. We surveyed Chinese adolescents 12 (Aug 2018; T1), 21 (May 2019; T2), 27 (Nov 2019; T3) months after the Jiuzhaigou earthquake that occurred in August 2017. Of the 585 adolescents who participated in at least two waves of the study, mean age at T1 was 15.50 years old (SD = 1.58 years) and 57.8% were girls. Controlling adolescents' gender, age, ethnicity, trauma exposure at T1, and parents' marital status, between-adolescent results showed that parent-child relationship and parenting behaviors, parent-child relationship and depressive symptoms were correlated across models of parental warmth, rejection, and overprotection, whereas depressive symptoms were only correlated with parental rejection and overprotection. Within-adolescent results indicated that parent-child relationship and adolescents' depressive symptoms had bidirectional associations via the mediation of parental warmth from T1 to T3. Over the longer term following the earthquake, we found that parental rejection was bidirectionally associated with adolescents' depressive symptoms, whereas parental overprotection was unidirectionally influenced by adolescents' depressive symptoms from T2 to T3. In addition, more depressive symptoms in adolescents were associated with worsening parent-child relationship from T2 to T3. In conclusion, shortly after trauma, interventions should focus on improving parent-child relationship and relieving adolescents' depressive symptoms. Over the longer term after trauma, relieving adolescents' depressive symptoms should be prioritized to avoid its eroding effects on parent-child relationship and parenting behaviors, and to break the "vicious cycle".
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Li
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028, China
| | - Yingying Ye
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028, China
| | - Xiao Zhou
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028, China.
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Zvi L, Rachimi A. Adult attachment style, perceived social support, and post-traumatic stress among female victims of sexual assault. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2024; 24:100481. [PMID: 39040480 PMCID: PMC11262163 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the interplay between adult attachment style, perceived social support, and post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms among adult female victims of sexual assault)SA(. While prior research has established the link between insecure attachment style and PTS, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The potential role of perceived social support as a mediator in this relationship has been largely neglected and there is a dearth of studies investigating this mediation among victims of SA. The present study sought to address this gap in literature. Two hundred twenty-six women who have endured SA completed self-report measures of attachment style, perceived social support, and PTS, using an online survey. The results confirmed the anticipated pattern, showing a positive correlation between insecure attachment styles and PTS, as well as a negative correlation with perceived social support. A mediation analysis indicated that perceived social support may be a mechanism linking attachment styles to PTS. Following SA, insecurely attached women, especially those with avoidant attachment, have difficulties relying on and utilizing support from their environment, which may render them more susceptible to PTS. Nevertheless, the mediation was partial, indicating that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance independently contribute to the development and maintenance of PTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza Zvi
- Department of Criminology, Ariel University, Israel
| | - Avia Rachimi
- Department of Criminology, Ariel University, Israel
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5
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Li Y, Liu L, Wang W. Sex Differences in the Relationship Between School Bullying Victimization and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: The Roles of Insecure Attachment. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2024; 39:2811-2831. [PMID: 38281109 DOI: 10.1177/08862605231221835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
School bullying victimization is a highly concerning issue that can lead to a range of negative outcomes. Despite the research showing a significant association between bullying victimization and complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), the internal mechanisms with its two components (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms [PTSD] and disorders of self-organization symptoms [DSO]) remain unclear. Previous studies have indicated that attachment style may influence the development of CPTSD symptoms and that there may be sex differences in attachment styles. Thus, the present study aims to examine the mediating role of insecure attachment between school bullying victimization and CPTSD symptoms in males and females. The study assessed bullying victimization, attachment orientation, and CPTSD (i.e., PTSD symptoms and DSO symptoms) symptoms in 675 college students (65.2% females; Mage = 19.6, SD = 1.34) from China who had reported bullying experiences at two different time points, 6 months apart. For females, school bullying victimization predicted PTSD and DSO symptoms through attachment anxiety and only predicted DSO symptoms through attachment avoidance. For males, we found that school bullying victimization predicted PTSD symptoms through attachment avoidance. These findings suggest that attachment is critical in understanding how school bullying victimization may lead to CPTSD symptoms among individuals of different sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Luming Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenchao Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Maciel MR, Calsavara VF, Zylberstajn C, Mello MF, Coimbra BM, Mello AF. Changes in attachment dimensions during the treatment of acute post-traumatic stress disorder in sexually assaulted Brazilian women. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1325622. [PMID: 38130963 PMCID: PMC10734689 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1325622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Attachment patterns are established during early childhood; however, extreme experiences throughout life may change this structure, either toward attachment security or insecurity. We analyzed changes in attachment dimensions in women with acute post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following sexual assault, that were randomized to a 14-week treatment with either the medication sertraline or Interpersonal Psychotherapy. Methods Seventy-four adult women who presented significant reduction in PTSD symptoms across the trial responded to the Revised Adult Attachment Scale at baseline, on week 8 of treatment, and at the end of the trial, on week 14. We fitted a generalized linear model to explain the attachment anxiety and avoidance scores at baseline. A generalized linear mixed model investigated how attachment dimensions changed over time. Socioeconomic data, treatment type, history of childhood trauma, and PTSD severity over the 14-week period were the considered covariates. Results At baseline, attachment anxiety was associated with a history of early trauma. Attachment anxiety remained stable during the follow-up. Attachment avoidance, on the other hand, significantly increased from baseline to week 14. Higher avoidance was observed in patients with higher total PTSD scores and on the cluster of hyperarousal symptoms. Races other than White (black, mixed-race, or Asian) and younger age were associated with higher attachment avoidance. Discussion Contrary to our expectations, attachment avoidance increased during follow-up, indicating changes in the interpersonal realm beyond the symptoms of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Rangel Maciel
- Program for Research and Care on Violence and PTSD (PROVE), Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Cecilia Zylberstajn
- Program for Research and Care on Violence and PTSD (PROVE), Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Feijo Mello
- Program for Research and Care on Violence and PTSD (PROVE), Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno Messina Coimbra
- Program for Research and Care on Violence and PTSD (PROVE), Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute and Amsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Department of Methodology and Statistics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Andrea Feijo Mello
- Program for Research and Care on Violence and PTSD (PROVE), Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Korndörffer L, White C, Mackelprang JL. Psychological First Aid principles within a community-led arts initiative: lessons from the Blacksmiths' Tree. DISASTERS 2023; 47:806-829. [PMID: 36208417 DOI: 10.1111/disa.12564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Psychological First Aid (PFA) is widely used in the early phases of disaster recovery, despite limited empirical evidence supporting its application. PFA aims to reduce distress and encourage adaptive coping and is grounded in five principles: the promotion of hope, self- and collective efficacy, social connectedness, safety, and calm. Drawing on a constructivist perspective, this study analysed interview transcripts from Forged from Fire: The Making of the Blacksmiths' Tree, a documentary film about a community-led arts project initiated after the 2009 bushfires in Victoria, Australia. Using a reflexive process that employed deductive and inductive coding, the research investigated the presence of PFA principles in participants' experiences of the Blacksmiths' Tree project and whether themes not accounted for by PFA were also salient. The findings supported the PFA principles and generated two additional themes: grassroots and community leadership; and healing through creation and expression. The implications for disaster recovery in community settings are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilith Korndörffer
- Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) Student, Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology
- Bushfire Recovery Practitioner, Victorian Department of Education, Australia
| | - Carolynne White
- Participation and Co-design Manager, Mind Australia
- Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
| | - Jessica L Mackelprang
- Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
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8
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Egozi Farkash H, Lahad M, Aharonson-Daniel L. Do Attachment Orientations Relate to Coping with Crises? Lessons from a Cross-Sectional Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6177. [PMID: 37372764 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20126177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
This study was designed to explore whether attachment orientations were related to distress and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample included 2000 Israeli Jewish adults who answered an online survey during the first phase of the pandemic. The questions referred to background variables, attachment orientations, distress, and resilience. Responses were analyzed using correlation and regression analyses. A significant positive relationship was found between distress and attachment anxiety, and a significant negative relationship was found between resilience and attachment insecurities (avoidance and anxiety). Women suffered higher distress, as did people with lower income, poor health, secular religious affiliation, a lack of a sense of spacious accommodation, and a dependent family member. The findings indicate that attachment insecurities are associated with the severity of mental health symptoms during the peak period of the COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend strengthening attachment security as a protective factor for psychological distress in therapeutic and educational settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadas Egozi Farkash
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 841001, Israel
| | - Mooli Lahad
- Department of Psychology, Tel-Hai College, Upper Galilee 1220800, Israel
- The Community Stress Prevention Centre (CSPC), Kiryat-Shmona 1101602, Israel
| | - Limor Aharonson-Daniel
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 841001, Israel
- PREPARED Center for Emergency Response Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
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9
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Kearney BE, Lanius RA. The brain-body disconnect: A somatic sensory basis for trauma-related disorders. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1015749. [PMID: 36478879 PMCID: PMC9720153 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1015749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the manifestation of trauma in the body is a phenomenon well-endorsed by clinicians and traumatized individuals, the neurobiological underpinnings of this manifestation remain unclear. The notion of somatic sensory processing, which encompasses vestibular and somatosensory processing and relates to the sensory systems concerned with how the physical body exists in and relates to physical space, is introduced as a major contributor to overall regulatory, social-emotional, and self-referential functioning. From a phylogenetically and ontogenetically informed perspective, trauma-related symptomology is conceptualized to be grounded in brainstem-level somatic sensory processing dysfunction and its cascading influences on physiological arousal modulation, affect regulation, and higher-order capacities. Lastly, we introduce a novel hierarchical model bridging somatic sensory processes with limbic and neocortical mechanisms regulating an individual's emotional experience and sense of a relational, agentive self. This model provides a working framework for the neurobiologically informed assessment and treatment of trauma-related conditions from a somatic sensory processing perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanne E. Kearney
- Department of Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ruth A. Lanius
- Department of Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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10
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Carbajal J, Ponder WN. Does Attachment Mediate PTSD and Suicidality in a Sample of Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Combat Veterans? JOURNAL OF VETERANS STUDIES 2022. [DOI: 10.21061/jvs.v8i1.287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
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11
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Owens GP, Hamrick LA, Keller EM, Perkins M, Collins S, Thomas EA, Haag I, Swan S, Pickering N. Predictors of posttraumatic stress symptom severity and meaning made in treatment-seeking veterans. J Clin Psychol 2022; 78:2564-2578. [PMID: 35510293 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Combat-exposed veterans risk encountering events that disrupt beliefs. To facilitate reduced discrepancy between prior beliefs and current trauma appraisals, veterans may engage in a process of meaning-making. Meaning-making can lead to positive outcomes, such as integrating the traumatic event into one's life narrative or adapting global meaning (meaning made) or elicit distress. Given these potentially different outcomes, this study examined potential correlates of posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) severity and meaning made, including relationship attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance, and difficulties with emotion regulation, while controlling for combat exposure. METHOD Veterans receiving mental health services at a Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center and a VA community-based outpatient clinic (N = 130) completed measures through a paper-and-pencil survey. Almost all participants (92%) were male, with a mean age of 55.92 years. RESULTS In terms of meaning made, lower levels of attachment anxiety and emotional clarity (an aspect of emotion regulation) predicted higher meaning made. In terms of PTSS severity, higher attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior (an aspect of emotion regulation) significantly predicted higher PTSS severity. CONCLUSION Aspects of both attachment style and emotion regulation difficulties affect meaning made and PTSS severity. These constructs may be especially relevant for clinicians working with veterans to help PTSS and support meaning made postcombat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina P Owens
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lauren A Hamrick
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Emily M Keller
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Marjorie Perkins
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Summer Collins
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Thomas
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ian Haag
- William C. Tallent VA Outpatient Clinic, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Scott Swan
- William C. Tallent VA Outpatient Clinic, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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Tambelli R, Cimino S, Marzilli E, Ballarotto G, Cerniglia L. Late Adolescents' Attachment to Parents and Peers and Psychological Distress Resulting from COVID-19. A Study on the Mediation Role of Alexithymia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:10649. [PMID: 34682393 PMCID: PMC8535909 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The scientific literature has shown the key role played by attachment to parents and peers and difficulties in recognizing, processing, and regulating emotions (i.e., alexithymia) in the (mal-)adaptive psychological response to the COVID-19 pandemic during late adolescence. No study has yet explored the complex interplay between these variables. We recruited a sample of 454 late adolescents (Mage = 22.79, SD = 2.27) and assessed attachment to parents and peers, alexithymia, and peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19 through self-report instruments. Attachment to fathers and peers, but not to mothers, and alexithymia significantly predicted levels of peritraumatic distress. Alexithymia fully and partially mediated the effect of, respectively, attachment to mothers and attachment to peers on peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19. These findings suggested that intervention programs focused on the promotion of peer social relationships, supportive parent-adolescent relationships, and the ability to recognize and discriminate one's own and others' emotions are needed in helping late adolescents to face the current health emergency and preventing short- and long-term psychopathological consequences related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Tambelli
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy; (R.T.); (E.M.); (G.B.)
| | - Silvia Cimino
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy; (R.T.); (E.M.); (G.B.)
| | - Eleonora Marzilli
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy; (R.T.); (E.M.); (G.B.)
| | - Giulia Ballarotto
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy; (R.T.); (E.M.); (G.B.)
| | - Luca Cerniglia
- Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, 00186 Rome, Italy;
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Vulnerability Factors Associated with Lifetime Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Veterans 40 Years after War. Healthcare (Basel) 2020; 8:healthcare8040359. [PMID: 32987683 PMCID: PMC7711782 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare8040359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Vulnerability factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development are still controversial. Our aim was to study the vulnerability factors for the development of war-related PTSD over a period of 40 years after exposure. A cross-sectional, observational study was carried out on 61 male traumatized war veterans, taking into consideration adverse childhood experiences (ACE), attachment orientations, number of non-war-related traumatic events, and war experiences. Lifetime PTSD was assessed by using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. Insecure attachment styles were significantly associated with lifetime PTSD and even after adjustment for war exposure this was still significant. Non-war-related traumatic events were not associated with lifetime PTSD, whereas ACE were associated with lifetime PTSD. War-related experiences were also associated with lifetime PTSD, except for injury or disease. The results for our sample show that, 40 years after war, the intensity of war-related experiences and ACE were significantly and independently associated with the development of lifetime PTSD. Insecure attachment was significantly associated with lifetime PTSD, which, in turn, are both positively associated with war exposure. These findings may have implications for patient care, as they constitute a strong argument that attachment-focused therapies could well be necessary 40 years after trauma.
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Fredette C, Rizkallah E, El-Baalbaki G, Palardy V, Guay S. A qualitative analysis of the quality of social and marital support for PTSD victims. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TRAUMA & DISSOCIATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejtd.2019.100134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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15
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Aloni R, Mikulincer M, Zerach G, Solomon Z. The intergenerational sequelae of war captivity: the impact of a self-amplifying cycle of PTSD and attachment insecurities on offspring's attachment orientations. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2020; 11:1741859. [PMID: 32363009 PMCID: PMC7178882 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2020.1741859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: War captivity is one of the most severe human-made traumatic events which lead to self-amplifying cycle of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and attachment insecurities. Solid evidence in the literature pointed out on the intergenerational transmission of PTSD symptoms. However, no research has been conducted on the intergenerational transmission of attachment insecurities and the effect of the self-amplifying cycle among former prisoners of war (ex-POWs) and their offspring attachment insecurities. Objective: This research aims to explore the intergenerational impact of a self-amplifying cycle of PTSD and attachment insecurities among ex-POWs on their offspring's attachment orientations. Method: We sampled dyads of Israeli ex-POWs of the Yom Kippur war and their adult offspring (ex-POW group) (n = 80) as well as dyads of Israeli veterans who fought in the Yom Kippur war, but were never held captive, and their adult offspring (control group) (n = 40). Veterans reported on PTSD severity and attachment orientations (anxiety, avoidance). Offspring reported on attachment orientations. We conducted (a) hierarchical regressions to predict offspring attachment orientations as a function of veterans' attachment orientations, and (b) moderated mediation analyses examining the role of veterans' PTSD in the intergenerational transmission of attachment orientations. Results: Ex-POWs' attachment anxiety was associated with offspring's reports of higher attachment anxiety and avoidance, and this intergenerational transmission of attachment was mediated by ex-POWs' PTSD severity. These effects were not significant in the control group. Conclusions: Decades after the war end, the intergenerational sequelae of war captivity are evident by the impact of the self-amplifying cycle of PTSD and attachment insecurities among ex-POWs and their offspring's attachment insecurities. Therefore, it is imperative for clinicians to recognize the intergenerational transmission and to focus not only on the trauma but also on the traumatized person's attachment injuries and the shattering of core beliefs about the world, self, and others, in the context of attachment-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Aloni
- School of Social Work, Ariel University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Mario Mikulincer
- School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Gadi Zerach
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Psychology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Zahava Solomon
- School of Social Work, Ariel University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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