Personality and trauma: Adult attachment and posttraumatic distress among former political prisoners

Abstract

Attachment patterns are especially salient in facing danger and threats to one's life. Earlier research has suggested that secure persons are protected and insecure persons vulnerable in conditions of traumatic stress. We argued that the general view may not apply to the complex person-trauma interaction that is characteristic to torture and ill-treatment. Rather, as Crittenden maintains, each attachment pattern involves a unique strategy that is the most adaptive solution, depending on the nature of the trauma. We hypothesized that the general view of the secure attachment pattern being protective, and the insecure patterns being unprotective, would apply when political prisoners are exposed to physical torture and ill-treatment. Whereas, when exposed to psychological torture involving interpersonal cruelty, securely attached persons would be more vulnerable than insecure. The hypotheses were examined among …