Evaluation of the relationship between childhood psychic traumatic experience level and attachment types and defence mechanisms

Evaluating the relationship between childhood psychic traumatic experience level and attachment types and defence mechanisms was aimed in this study.The sample of the study consists of a total of 583 individuals, 338 women and 245 men, aged between 18-65. In the study, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Three-Dimensional Attachment Style Scale, and Defense Style Questionnaire were administered to the participants.The results of the study revealed that, among childhood traumas, physical neglect predicted the styles of mature defense, neurotic defense and immature defense; emotional neglect predicted the styles of mature defense and neurotic defense, whereas sexual abuse predicted the style of mature defense at a statistically significant level. It was determined that, among childhood traumas, emotional abuse predicted anxious/ambivalent attachment, physical neglect predicted secure and avoidant attachment, whereas emotional neglect predicted secure and avoidant attachment at a statistically significant level. It was also determined that, among attachment styles, secure attachment predicted the styles of mature defense and neurotic defense; avoidant attachment predicted the styles of mature defense, neurotic defense and immature defense, whereas anxious/ambivalent attachment predicted the styles of neurotic defense and immature defense at a statistically significant level. Findings on the mediating effect of the dimensions of attachment on the relationship between childhood trauma and immature defense style revealed that avoidant attachment exhibited a mediating effect on the relationship between emotional abuse and immature defense style, while, on the other hand, anxious/ambivalent attachment mediated the relationship between physical neglect and immature defense style. Findings on the mediating effect of the dimensions of attachment on the relationship between childhood trauma and neurotic defense style revealed that the dimensions of attachment did not exhibit a mediating effect on the relationship between childhood trauma and neurotic defense style. In addition, the dimensions of attachment was not found to exhibit any mediating effect on the relationship between childhood trauma and mature defense style. Evaluation of the demographic characteristics showed that the participants' scores obtained from the sub-dimensions of neurotic defense, emotional abuse, physical neglect and secure attachment differ significantly according to gender. In addition, the scores obtained from the sub-dimensions of neurotic defense, physical neglect, sexual abuse, and anxious/ambivalent attachment differ significantly according to age.