TY - JOUR
T1 - Attachment security and pain - The disrupting effect of captivity and PTSS
AU - Andersen, Tonny Elmose
AU - Lahav, Yael
AU - Defrin, Ruth
AU - Mikulincer, Mario
AU - Solomon, Zahava
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2015/12/1
Y1 - 2015/12/1
N2 - The present study assesses the possible disruption effect of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS)with regard to the protective role of attachment on pain, among ex-POWs.While secure attachment seems to serve as a buffer, decreasing the perception of pain, this function may be disrupted by PTSS. The study sample included 104 subjects who were combat veterans of the 1973 Yom Kippur War comprising of 60 male ex-prisoners of war (ex- POWs) and 44 comparable male combat veterans. Both attachment and pain were investigated experimentally in the laboratory and via questionnaires. We found that ex-POWs showed higher levels of clinical pain and attachment insecurities compared to controls.Moreover, attachment avoidance and soothing effect of attachment (SEA)were both associatedwith lower levels of clinical pain.Most importantly, PTSSmoderated the associations between attachment and pain, as well as the mediation role of attachment between captivity and pain. The results imply that although attachment can be an important resource for coping with pain, it can be severely disrupted by PTSS among trauma survivors.
AB - The present study assesses the possible disruption effect of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS)with regard to the protective role of attachment on pain, among ex-POWs.While secure attachment seems to serve as a buffer, decreasing the perception of pain, this function may be disrupted by PTSS. The study sample included 104 subjects who were combat veterans of the 1973 Yom Kippur War comprising of 60 male ex-prisoners of war (ex- POWs) and 44 comparable male combat veterans. Both attachment and pain were investigated experimentally in the laboratory and via questionnaires. We found that ex-POWs showed higher levels of clinical pain and attachment insecurities compared to controls.Moreover, attachment avoidance and soothing effect of attachment (SEA)were both associatedwith lower levels of clinical pain.Most importantly, PTSSmoderated the associations between attachment and pain, as well as the mediation role of attachment between captivity and pain. The results imply that although attachment can be an important resource for coping with pain, it can be severely disrupted by PTSS among trauma survivors.
KW - Attachment
KW - Captivity
KW - POW
KW - Pain
KW - Posttraumatic stress
KW - Trauma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84963756860&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.10.008
DO - 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.10.008
M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???
AN - SCOPUS:84963756860
SN - 0022-3999
VL - 79
SP - 471
EP - 476
JO - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
JF - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
IS - 6
ER -