Attachment, personality, and psychopathology among adult inpatients: self-reported romantic attachment style versus Adult Attachment Interview states of mind.

Publisher: Cambridge University Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 8910645 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 0954-5794 (Print) Linking ISSN: 09545794 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Dev Psychopathol Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, c1989-

Cognition* ; Interview, Psychological* ; Love* ; Object Attachment* ; Surveys and Questionnaires*; Personality Disorders/*epidemiology ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/*rehabilitation; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Dissociative Disorders/diagnosis ; Dissociative Disorders/epidemiology ; Dissociative Disorders/psychology ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Personality Disorders/diagnosis ; Personality Disorders/psychology ; Prevalence ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology

The present study examined self-reported romantic attachment style and Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) states of mind regarding early attachment relationships, personality dimensions, and psychopathology in a psychiatric sample of trauma survivors. Inpatients (N = 80) admitted to a hospital trauma treatment program were administered the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, AAI, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III, Dissociative Experiences Scale, and Dissociative Disorder Interview Schedule. Self-report and AAI attachment classifications were not related, and different results emerged for the two measures. Self-reported romantic attachment style was significantly associated with personality dimensions, with fearful adults showing the most maladaptive personality profiles. Findings suggested that self-report dimensions of self and other independently contribute to different forms of psychological dysfunction. AAI unresolved trauma was uniquely associated with dissociation and posttraumatic stress disorder, whereas unresolved trauma and unresolved loss jointly contributed to schizotypal and borderline personality disorder scores. The differences in findings between the two measures are discussed with a view toward the developmental and clinical implications.

Date Created: 20070124 Date Completed: 20070612 Latest Revision: 20151119

20231215

10.1017/S0954579407070149

17241494