[Unresolved attachment and remembered childhood trauma in patients undergoing psychosomatic inpatient treatment].

OBJECTIVE: Clinical populations are characterised by a high level of childhood trauma and unresolved attachment status ("U"). Unresolved attachment status indicates the inability to integrate attachment-related dangers. Little is known about the interaction of traumatic childhood experiences and an unresolved attachment status.

METHOD: We administered the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP) to 45 newly admitted psychosomatic inpatients. Childhood trauma (CTQ) and distress were assessed by self-report questionnaires, and cognitive-emotional development was evaluated with the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS).We explored whether unresolved (U) and resolved (R) attachment status differentiated the sample with regard to childhood trauma, distress and cognitive-emotional development.

RESULTS: 53 % of the sample was characterized by the attachment status U; physical abuse and neglect as well as emotional neglect were correlated with a diminished ability to integrate trauma indicators in the AAP. A resolved attachment status was related to higher LEAS scores.

CONCLUSION: The level of cognitive-emotional development may mediate the actual integration of attachment-related dangers and the interaction between actual attachment-related anxiety and past traumatic experiences.