The relationship between adolescent refugees’ attachment patterns and their experiences of trauma

ABSTRACT

Nearly half of all young refugees experience trauma-related mental health problems. However, protective factors, such as attachment style, may mitigate the impact of traumatic events. This study explores the relationship between adolescent refugees’ traumatic experiences and their Adult Attachment Inventory classifications. Attachment and trauma data were gathered from 37 refugee youths resettled in the United States. Results suggest refugees who are securely attached may have greater resilience in the face of traumatic events than refugees with insecure or disorganized attachment styles. Future research should further explore links between adolescent refugee attachment and resiliency in the face of traumatic experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Refugee
• adolescent
• attachment
• trauma

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the generous support and mentorship of Dr. Edward Clark. The authors would also like to acknowledge the contributions of Mary Fisher, Jamie Mortensen, and the Utah Federation for Youth toward this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by an Adolescent Health Innovative Research Grant from the University of Utah Department of Pediatrics and the Florsheim Family Foundation.