Interpersonal trauma, attachment insecurity and anxiety in an inpatient psychiatric population. (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wiltgen, Anika; Arbona, Consuelo; Frankel, Leslie; Frueh, B. Christopher
• Is Part Of: Journal of anxiety disorders. Volume 35(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 82
• Page End: 87
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: Interpersonal trauma -- Attachment -- Anxiety -- Adult inpatients; Anxiety -- Periodicals; Anxiety Disorders -- Periodicals; Angoisse -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 616.8522
• DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2015.07.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0887-6185

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: We examine the relationship between trauma, attachment and anxiety in inpatients. We assess if attachment insecurity mediates the relation of trauma to anxiety. Attachment anxiety relates to anxiety, but does not relate to trauma. Attachment anxiety does not mediate the relation of trauma to anxiety. Attachment avoidance partially mediates the relation of trauma to anxiety. Abstract: Current research suggests that interpersonal trauma has an impact on insecure attachment and anxiety. Some research further suggests that attachment may play a mediating role between traumatic events and psychopathology. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the experience of interpersonal trauma, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance and clinical anxiety severity among adult psychiatric inpatients who reported having experienced interpersonal trauma after the age of 16. It was hypothesized that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance would mediate the relationship between interpersonal trauma and clinical anxiety level. This study used archival data on 414 adult psychiatric inpatients in a large city in the Southwest U.S. Results suggest that interpersonal trauma was correlated to attachment avoidance but not to attachment anxiety and that attachment avoidance partially mediated the relation of interpersonal trauma to anxiety. The attachment framework appositely explains how a negative model of other contributes to the relation between experiences of interpersonal trauma and anxiety in adulthood.