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 …