Posttraumatic outcomes among highly sensitive persons: Examining the moderating role of adult attachment in the aftermath of collective trauma.

Objective

This study examines posttraumatic outcomes among highly sensitive persons (HSPs) 1 year after the October 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel, which was followed by ongoing warfare, civilian displacement, and sustained societal strain. Based on literature that suggests that HSPs are more reactive to environmental contexts, the study investigated whether HSPs reported heightened symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and somatization and whether adult attachment insecurity (anxiety, avoidance) moderated these associations.

Method

A sample of 314 Israeli adults completed measures assessing high sensitivity (HSP Scale-Brief Version), attachment orientations (Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures Questionnaire), PTSD symptoms (PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition), and somatic complaints (Patient Health Questionnaire-15).

Results

Multivariate regression analyses revealed that HSP significantly predicted both PTSD and somatization, indicating elevated psychological and somatic reactivity among HSPs during prolonged collective trauma. However, moderation analyses showed that neither attachment anxiety nor attachment avoidance altered the strength of the associations between HSP and posttraumatic outcomes.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that, in contexts of extreme threat, the buffering role of attachment may be reduced, such that high sensitivity emerges as a particularly salient factor in shaping distress. However, due to limitations of the study, it was not determined whether this pattern was only one of several contributing processes and other individual and contextual factors might also play a role. Overall, the results underscore the heightened vulnerability of HSPs during prolonged collective trauma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).