Separation from parents during childhood trauma predicts adult attachment security and post-traumatic stress disorder

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Prolonged separation from parental support is a risk factor for psychopathology. This study assessed the impact of brief separation from parents during childhood trauma on adult attachment tendencies and post-traumatic stress.</p> <p><strong>Method:</strong> Children (<i>n</i> = 806) exposed to a major Australian bushfire disaster in 1983 and matched controls (<i>n</i> = 725) were assessed in the aftermath of the fires (mean age 7–8 years) via parent reports of trauma exposure and separation from parents during the fires. Participants (<i>n</i> = 500) were subsequently assessed 28 years after initial assessment on the Experiences in Close Relationships scale to assess attachment security, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was assessed using the PTSD checklist.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> Being separated from parents was significantly related to having an avoidant attachment style as an adult (<i>B</i> = −3.69, s.e. = 1.48, <i>β</i> = −0.23, <i>p</i> = 0.013). Avoidant attachment was associated with re-experiencing (<i>B</i> = 0.03, s.e. = 0.01, <i>β</i> = 0.31, <i>p</i> = 0.045), avoidance (<i>B</i> = 0.03, s.e. = 0.01, <i>β</i> = 0.30, <i>p</i> = 0.001) and numbing (<i>B</i> = 0.03, s.e. = 0.01, <i>β</i> = 0.30, <i>p</i> < 0.001) symptoms. Anxious attachment was associated with re-experiencing (<i>B</i> = 0.03, s.e. = 0.01, <i>β</i> = 0.18, <i>p</i> = 0.001), numbing (<i>B</i> = 0.03, <i>β</i> = 0.30, s.e. = 0.01, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and arousal (<i>B</i> = 0.04, s.e. = 0.01, <i>β</i> = 0.43, <i>p</i> < 0.001) symptoms.</p> <p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> These findings demonstrate that brief separation from attachments during childhood trauma can have long-lasting effects on one's attachment security, and that this can be associated with adult post-traumatic psychopathology.</p>