Childhood Trauma and Attachment Difficulties Emerging in Adult Life

Abstract

The present capstone seeks to analyze traumas faced during childhood, difficulties, and barriers in forming healthy/secure attachments, and possible ways in which these can affect and emerge in adult life - ranging from early adulthood into late adulthood. It will furthermore analyze how traumas and insecure attachments formed during childhood can be passed onto that individual's future offspring, in an intergenerational cycle. There are limited studies showing the link between early childhood trauma and mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance-use disorder, in late adulthood.