The impact of the attachment style of parents of children with brain tumors on posttraumatic stress

The objective of this study is to investigate whether the attachment style of parents of children with brain tumors influences posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the parents. Of the 122 participants of the current study, 49% exhibited symptoms that would indicate PTSD, measured by The PTSD Checklist Stressor Specific Version. The current study identifies attachment style, as measured by the Experience in Close Relationship Scale-Short Form, a significant predictor of PTSD in parents of children with brain tumors which would allow medical and mental health professionals to identify at-risk parents early on in the diagnosis and treatment phase of their child's disease. In addition, the study helps parents become aware of an issue that may affect them due to their child's illness. These results confirm the findings of the two previous studies in terms of a high prevalence rate of posttraumatic stress in parents of children with brain tumors. The results of this study supports that there is a link between attachment style and posttraumatic stress symptoms in parents of children with brain tumors. The only other factors of this study shown to have a link to posttraumatic stress symptoms were the current age of the parent, and whether or not the child survived the brain tumor. Also discussed are the implications and recommendations for future research.