The association between adult attachment style and mental health in extreme life-endangering conditions

This study examines the association between adult attachment style and psyc hopathology in extreme life-endangering conditions. A group of 40 Israeli J ewish settlers who lived within the Palestinian Authority territory (high-t hreat group) were asked to fill out an attachment style scale and psychiatr ic symptomatology measures. They were compared to a control group of Israel i Jewish persons who lived within the State of Israel. Findings showed high er symptomatology in the high-threat than control group. Secure attachment style was inversely related to symptomatology measures. In contrast, anxiou s-ambivalent and avoidant attachment styles were positively related to symp tomatology measures. However, whereas the anxious-ambivalent attachment sty le was related to psychopathology in the two threat conditions, the avoidan t style was related to psychopathology only in the high-threat group. Resul ts were discussed in terms of attachment theory. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.