COPING WITH WAR CAPTIVITY - THE ROLE OF ATTACHMENT STYLE

The current study examines the implication of attachment style in both immediate coping and long-term adjustment of prisoners of war (PO Ws) . 164-ex-POWs and 184 marched controls filled out a battery of questio nnaires, 18 years after the war. They were questioned about their subj ective experience of captivity, current mental health status, and char acteristic attachment style. Secure individuals, who reported lower le vels of suffering, less helplessness and more active coping during cap tivity, exhibited better long-term adjustment. Avoidant ex-POWs, who r eported helplessness and hostility, and ambivalent individuals, who fe lt abandoned and vulnerable, reported long-term mal-adjustment. The ro le of attachment style as a stress-moderating resource is discussed. ( C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.