Parental Attachment Style and Young Persons’ Adjustment to Bereavement

Abstract Background Previous clinical and theoretical work supports the idea that parental attachment style complicated grief affect young persons’ mental health, but empirical research investigating their impact on person’s adjustment to bereavement is lacking. Objective This study investigated of bereavement. It was hypothesised a) anxiety, avoidance, would moderate link between experience psychological distress in persons b) experienced by bereaved persons. Method a questionnaire-based case control study, involving two participant groups: 133 parents who had loss loved one 101 with no experience. Results Bereaved greater externalising internalising problems than non-bereaved only when they were raised an anxiously attached parent, anxiety low, children fewer non-bereaved. When avoidance also Among bereaved, high levels amplified child post-traumatic stress, while presence low negatively associated immediate distressing response numbing-dissociative symptomatology. Conclusions Psychological vulnerability insecure style.