The impact of premature birth on fear of personal death and attachment of styles in adolescence.
The differences between adolescents born pre-term (n = 50) and a matched sample of adolescents born full-term were examined in relation to fear of personal death, attachment styles, and the relation between the two variables. Findings revealed that adolescents born pre-term showed a higher level of fear of personal death and a lower frequency of secure attachment style than adolescents born full-term. In addition, secure full-term born adolescents exhibited a lower level of fear of personal death compared with insecure adolescents; whereas among those born pre-term, attachment styles did not affect the level of fear of personal death. Results are discussed in terms of the long-term impact of premature birth on affect regulation in adolescence.
Lubetzky
Ofra
O
Tel-Aviv University School of Medicine, Isreal. Lubetsky@netvision.net.il
Gilat
Itzhak
I
D000293:Adolescent; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002657:Child Development; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000523:psychology*; D007557:Israel; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009769:Object Attachment; D011581:Psychological Tests; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires