Overcoming the civil wars: the role of attachment styles between the impact of war and psychological symptoms and post-traumatic growth among Libyan citizens

ABSTRACTBackground: Civil wars in Libya have impacted the mental health of the general population. The ways in which individuals cope with traumatic events are influenced by several psychological variables.Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate how post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mohamed Ali, Giorgio Veneziani, Ilaria Aquilanti, Rachel Wamser-Nanney, Carlo Lai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-11-01
Series:European Journal of Psychotraumatology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2023.2287952
Description
Summary:ABSTRACTBackground: Civil wars in Libya have impacted the mental health of the general population. The ways in which individuals cope with traumatic events are influenced by several psychological variables.Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate how post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are associated with psychological symptoms and post-traumatic growth (PTG), and to evaluate the role of avoidant and anxious attachment dimensions as mediators in these associations, among Libyan citizens.Method: Three-hundred participants (147 females; age 31.0 ± 8.4 years) completed the Impact of Event Scale – Revised, Experiences in Close Relationships, Patient Health Questionnaire, and Post-traumatic Growth Inventory – Short Form.Results: The structural equation model revealed that insecure attachment dimensions mediated the association between PTSS and psychological symptoms and PTG. PTSS were positively associated with psychological symptoms, PTG, and both insecure attachment dimensions. Insecure attachment dimensions were positively associated with psychological symptoms and negatively with PTG.Conclusion: The present findings contribute to growing empirical research on the roles of insecure attachment dimensions in the association between the impact of war, psychological symptoms, and PTG.
ISSN:2000-8066