The influence of attachment on post-concusssion symptoms in adolescents and young adults

2021.09.16 | Graduate School of Health

On Monday 11 October at 14:00, Astrid Høeg Tuborgh defends her PhD dissertation entitled "Attachment dimensions in young persons with concussion: stability and impact on symptom reporting and treatment outcome".

The reasons why 10-15% of people who suffer from a concussion experience post-concussion symptoms (PCS) more than three months after the injury are not known for certain. In general, it is agreed that the development of PCS should be understood in a multifactorial context influenced by physical, psychological and social factors. Typical symtoms are headaches, concentration problems and fatigue, but the symptoms can cover a wide range of cognitive, emotional and physical problems. Attachment is a psychological factor which contributes to the understanding of how interpersonal developmental processes may affect a person's later responses to illness and treatment. Attachment is denoted as secure or insecure, where insecure attachment can be further characterised by levels of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Insecure attachment has been linked with increased risk of developing disease and less optimistic outcomes in the face of illness with maladaptive illnessrelated behaviours, e.g. help-seeking behaviour out of proportions with the degree of illness, or the opposite, e.g. omission of seeking help when really needed.

This PhD project was performed by Astrid Høeg Tuborgh, MD, in collaboration between The Research Unit, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital, Psychiatry, Denmark, and Hammel Neurorehabilitation Centre and University Research Clinic, Denmark. The overall objective was to investigate the influence of attachment dimensions on post-concussion symptoms in adolescents and young adults. Three studies were performed: 1) the influence of attachment dimensions on symptom reporting after a concussion, 2) the stability of attachment dimensions after a concussion, and 3) the influence of attachment dimensions on treatment outcome in young persons with PCS.  

The summary is written by the PhD student.   

The defence is public and takes place in Mødelokale 2, Konferencecenteret, Aarhus University, Fredrik Nielsen Vej 2-4 , 8000 Aarhus C and online. Please read the attached press release for more information. 

Contact:

PhD student Astrid Høeg Tuborgh

Mail: asttub@rm.dk

Phone: (+45) 29766266

Read full press release