Attachment disorganization and dissociative symptoms in clinically treatedadolescents

Objective: To examine the association of unresolved and unclassifiable atta chment with dissociative symptomotology in a sample of 133 adolescents in p sychiatric treatment. Method. The study compared 69 adolescents who were unresolved and unclassif iable with 64 adolescents who were not unresolved and unclassifiable. Attac hment organization was assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Dissociative symptomotology was assessed using a scale derived from the Yo uth Self Report (YSR) behaviour checklist. Results: A continuing unresolved and unclassifiable response to attachment- related trauma was correlated with dissociative symptomotology for both mal e and female adolescents. Conclusions: Cognitive disorganization may be an important variable mediati ng between the effects of earlier traumatic caregiving experiences and late r dissociative symptoms.