Is disorganized attachment a predictor of post-traumatic symptoms in children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders?

Objective. This comparative study aimed to test the interaction between disorganized attachment and post-traumatic symptoms in children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBDs), compared with non-clinical ones. It is widely agreed that behavioral problems are related to different risk factors, as problematic interactions with parents, and seem to be linked to trauma exposure and subsequent post-trauma symptoms. However, there are few studies focused on the middle childhood due to “measuring gap”. Methods 84 children (M=11.15 years, SD=2.12), 42 with a diagnosis of DBD, and 42 as a comparison group without diagnosis, were assessed using: 1) the Child Attachment Interview (Shmueli-Goetz et al., 2008) to assess attachment; 2)Trauma Symptoms Checklist for Children and Adolescents (Briere et al., 1995) to investigate post traumatic symptoms; 3) Child Behavior Checklist 6–18 Version (Achenbach, 2001) to assess behavioral problems. Results Disorganized attachment was over-represented in DBD (around 50%) compared to the control group (11%; chi2 =16.458, p=.000). No differences were found between groups with respect to the levels of post-traumatic symptoms (p>.070),except for the greater tendency to deny in DBD children (Under-response subscale; t(80)=2.248, p=.015). Regression analysis on DBD group did not show significant interaction between disorganized attachment and Under-response (b = .356, p >.05, =.019). Conclusions Despite the lack of an identifiable linkage among variables, the emotional functioning of DBD seems characterized from breakdown, disintegration or absence of an attachment strategy and from the tendency to deny post-traumatic symptoms, which should be taken into account in DBD treatment during the middle childhood.