Attachment style and coping in relation to posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among adults living with HIV/AIDS.
Research indicates that a significant proportion of people living with HIV/AIDS report symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Moreover, attachment style has been associated with psychological and behavioral outcomes among persons living with HIV/AIDS. Attachment style may influence the ability to cope with traumatic stress and affect PTSD symptoms. To examine the association between attachment style and coping with PTSD symptoms, we assessed 94 HIV-positive adults on self-report measures of posttraumatic stress, coping, and attachment style. In multiple regression analysis, avoidant attachment and emotion-focused coping were positively and significantly associated with greater PTSD symptomatology. Support was also found for the moderating effects of avoidant and insecure attachment styles on emotion-focused coping in relation to greater PTSD symptoms. Taken altogether, these results suggest that interventions that develop adaptive coping skills and focus on the underlying construct of attachment may be particularly effective in reducing trauma-related symptoms in adults living with HIV/AIDS.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305-5718, USA. cgore@stanford.edu
Cheryl
C
Gore-Felton
Karni
K
Ginzburg
Maggie
M
Chartier
William
W
Gardner
Jessica
J
Agnew-Blais
Elizabeth
E
McGarvey
Elizabeth
E
Weiss
Cheryl
C
Koopman
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires