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An Exploratory Study of Attachments and Posttraumatic Stress in Combat Veterans

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Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study was to evaluate the potential value of comparing specific attachments to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in combat veterans with a new measure of attachments. A case series of 22 combat veterans in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center clinic completed PTSD Checklist – Military Version (PCL-M), Trauma Symptom Inventory - 2nd Edition, and the Attachment and Clinical Issues Questionnaire (ACIQ) as part of a pilot study for a larger project. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations were used to examine the data. Although there were significant negative correlations between self-rated PTSD symptoms and avoidant (r = −0.44) and ambivalent (r = −0.55) attachment scores towards their mothers, suggesting a novel type of enmeshment, positive correlations were found between PTSD symptoms and avoidant partner attachments scores (r = 0.47). There were no significant correlations between the attachment scales to father and PTSD symptoms. The ACIQ Ambivalent Partner scale was only related to TSI-2 scales Intrusive Experiences (r = −0.44) and Defensive Avoidance (r = −0.44). An exploratory regression model using attachment variables identified from correlations and predicting PCL scores was significant (R 2 = 0.48); however, only Avoidant Partner scale contributed significant variance (β = 0.42, p = 0.024). The potency of the partner scale suggests a potential target for future research and intervention. These data point to new questions to be explored with larger samples and more sophisticated statistical techniques, and further highlighting the complexity of attachment and PTSD.

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Acknowledgments

This research is the result of work supported with resources, facilities, and patients at the Huntington VA Medical Center. The study was also supported in part by resources of the W.G. “Bill” Hefner VA Medical Center, the Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Academic Affiliations Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MA-MIRECC), W.G. “Bill” Hefner Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 11M-2, Salisbury, NC, 28144, USA

    Robert D. Shura

  2. Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

    Robert D. Shura

  3. Huntington Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Huntington, WV, USA

    Billy J. Rutherford

  4. Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA

    April Fugett & Marc A. Lindberg

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  1. Robert D. Shura
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  2. Billy J. Rutherford
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  4. Marc A. Lindberg
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Correspondence to Robert D. Shura.

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This study was reviewed and approved by the Marshall University Institutional Review Board. The welfare and privacy of human subjects were protected and maintained.

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There are no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

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Shura, R.D., Rutherford, B.J., Fugett, A. et al. An Exploratory Study of Attachments and Posttraumatic Stress in Combat Veterans. Curr Psychol 36, 110–118 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-015-9390-2

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