NCJ Number
173379
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Dated: January 1998 Pages: 45-61
Date Published
1998
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study tests the hypothesis that adult attachment is related to distress and personality disorders in incest survivors.
Abstract
Adult female incest survivors recruited from the community participated in a structured interview and completed measures of current functioning and personality. Complete data from 92 cases out of the total sample of 112 were analyzed. Attachment (as represented by a category) was significantly related to personality structure. Fearful individuals showed more avoidant, self-defeating and borderline tendencies and preoccupied individuals showed more dependent, self-defeating and borderline tendencies than secure or dismissing individuals. Hierarchical regression analyses suggested that attachment (as represented by four dimensions) was significantly associated with personality structure, depression and distress, and abuse severity with post traumatic stress disorder symptoms (intrusive thoughts and avoidance of memories) and depression. Tables, references