Evaluation of the attachment scale in the Trauma Symptom Inventory-2 : Parental experiences of traumatic events and close relationships

• Main Author: Christiansson, Åsa
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för beteendevetenskap och lärande 2013
• Subjects: Psychometrics; adult attachment styles; polytraumatization; interpersonal anxiety regulation; trauma symptoms
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-112733

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the attachment scale added in the newly developed self-rating questionnaire Trauma Symptom Inventory-2 (TSI-2). Participants were recruited from the Swedish parent-infant unit Hagadal (N=58). Reliability analyses concluded Cronbach´s α .92 for attachment total scale, .88 for avoidance subscale, and .91 for rejection sensitivity subscale. Convergent validity analyses concluded moderate to strong correlations between TSI-2 attachment scale and subscales, and Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) total scale and subscales (r= .34 - .68, p ≤ .01). Criterion validity analyses concluded that adverse childhood circumstances measured by Linköping Youth Life Experiences Scale (LYLES) signficantly estimated 17 % of variance in TSI-2 attachment scale scores. Preliminary support for reliability and validity of the TSI-2 attachment scale was obtained. No previous trauma symptom rating instrument has included information about adult attachment styles. The present findings point to the benefits of such inclusion.