title: [Attachment and psychosomatic health among Catholic pastoral professionals].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study examines attachment representations and psychosomatic symptoms of Catholic priests and other pastoral professionals in Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted structured biographical interviews with 83 Catholic pastoral professionals (47 priests, 36 lay pastoral workers). Attachment representations were diagnosed by use of the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP). Psychosomatic health data (Brief Symptom Inventory - BSI-18) were taken from the associated German Pastoral Ministry Study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the sample, the proportion of secure attachment representations was 23%, of insecure- dismissing 39%, of insecure-preoccupied 18% and of unresolved attachment status 21%. Individuals with secure attachment representation were associated with lower values of psychosomatic stress, while individuals with insecure-dismissing and unresolved attachment status had higher values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The amount of insecure attachment representations and psychosomatic symptoms is higher than in data from the healthy samples, especially in the cohorts between 1933 and 1945. Data from biographical interviews indicate the significant role of institutional attachment to the Church, in many cases possibly compensating for dysfunctional parental relationships in personal history.
authors.affiliation: Hochschule für Philosophie, München.|Klinik und Poliklinik für Palliativmedizin, Universitätsklinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
authors.forename: Jakob Johann
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Hochschule für Philosophie, München.|Klinik und Poliklinik für Palliativmedizin, Universitätsklinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Loetz
authors.affiliation: Hochschule für Philosophie, München.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altenhofen
authors.affiliation: Hochschule für Philosophie, München.|Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Forschungsstelle Spiritual Care, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München.
authors.forename: Eckhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.affiliation: Institut für Psychologie, Universität Innsbruck, Österreich.|International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buchheim
authors.affiliation: Theologische Fakultät, Arbeitsbereich Caritaswissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.affiliation: Hochschule für Philosophie, München.
authors.forename: Carlos Ignacio
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Man Ging
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002410:Catholicism / Q000523:psychology*; D002977:Clergy / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019962:Reactive Attachment Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012016:Reference Values; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Attachment; Attachment Representations; Attachment Theory; Catholic Church; Pastoral Workers; Priests; Psychosomatic Symptoms; Psychosomatics; War Children