Evaluation of the relationship between attachment styles and childhood traumatic experiences in patients with psoriasis

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the attachment styles and traumatic childhood experiences of patients who were followed up with a diagnosis of psoriasis in Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Medical Faculty Hospital Dermatological and Venereal Diseases Clinic. Another aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between the study population's anxiety and depression levels and traumatic past experiences during childhood and attachment styles they had during their romantic relationships. Materials and methods: Out of 92 patients who was being followed up between 10.01.2019 and 09.01.2020 with the diagnosis of psoriasis in The Clinic of Dermatological and Venereal Diseases, a total of 50 patients was included in the study. We excluded 42 patients who did not consent to participate in our study and who had missing data. The study data consisted of the forms filled by patients who consented to participate in this study voluntarily between 10.01.2019 and 10.01.2020, the forms that the patients were asked to fill were as follows: "Socio-demographical Variables Questionnaire (Q-SV)", "Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ)", "Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) Inventory", "Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)", and "Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)". Results: The age of the participants was between 19-62 and the mean age was 37.0±10.0. The educational status varied between the lowest level of being "illiterates" and the highest level of being "collage-university graduates" with a majority of high school graduates and collage-university graduates (40% and 30%). Of all participants, 34 (68%) had a romantic relationship, 31 (62%) were married. Of the participants, 16 (32%) had relatives with a diagnosis of a psychiatric disease, 18 (36%) were using psychiatric medicine at the time or had used in the past. Also, of the participants, 28 (56%) smoked, 11 (22%) had alcohol consumption, and 1 (2%) had substance abuse. A positive relationship was found between Beck Depression Inventory Scores and all childhood trauma scores, and a positive relationship was found between physical abuse and sub-groups excluding physical negligence. A positive relationship was found between all Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Scores and adult anxious attachment scores, and a significant negative relationship was found between all scores excluding sexual abuse and avoidant attachment scores. A positive relationship was found between the scores of both Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory and anxious attachment scores; however, no significant relationship was found between both Inventory Scores and avoidant attachment scores. Conclusions: The data obtained from our study showed that traumatic events in childhood, individual's mental health, and attachment patterns that individuals demonstrate in close relationships all have significant effects on one another, and an integrated approach including all of these factors should be followed when diagnosing and managing patients. Keywords: Psoriasis, depression, anxiety, childhood trauma, attachment styles