Dyadic trauma and attachment: A monozygotic twin study assessing the efficacy of Somatic Experiencing®
Abstract
Orientation: Monozygotic twins offer a unique opportunity to examine the contagious nature of trauma in attachment dyads when one twin experiences trauma, but the other does not. Dyadic trauma is antagonistic to secure phylogenetic attachment (SPA). Research purpose: Attachment perturbations in trauma may be complicit in psychopathology. Somatic Experiencing (SE) is an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attachment focused somatic experiencing (AF-SE) resolves dyadic trauma. Motivation for the study: Monozygotic twins may share a unique form of sibling attachment, described here as monozygotic attachment, characterised by elevated somatic congruence resulting in suboptimal attachment. The study was conducted to determine whether dyadic trauma is contagious and compromises SPA and whether SE and AF-SE are effective treatments to restore SPA. Research approach/design and method: A quantitative experimental approach was used to examine the nature of trauma in monozygotic attachment and the significance of trauma in relation to psychopathology. Smartphone devices were used to record seven autonomic variables pre- and post-treatment for both twins: heart rate variability (HRV), three HRV index variables, heart rate, sleep duration and sleep disturbances. Mean and small sample t-tests were applied to determine statistical significance. Main findings: Results conclude that trauma is contagious in attachment dyads and contributes to psychopathology. Somatic Experiencing is an effective treatment for trauma. The AF-SE resolves dyadic trauma restoring SPA as the antithesis of trauma. Implications for practice: Traumatology and attachment theory may be linked theoretically to resolve trauma. Contribution/value-add: Secure phylogenetic attachment offers a new category of attachment theory that defines trauma in dyads and its relationship to psychopathology.
Keywords: dyadic trauma; dyadic completion; monozygotic; secure phylogenetic attachment; somatic experiencing
Metadata Record
References 24
- Abbott, J., Lim, M., Eres, R., Long, K., & Matthews, R. (2018). The impact of loneliness on the health and wellbeing of Australians. InPsych, 40, 6. Retrieved from https://www.psychology.org.au/for-members/publications/inpsych/2018/December-Issue-6/The-impact-of-loneliness-on-the-health-and-wellbei#
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2016). Census of population and housing: Census dictionary (ABS Catalogue No. 2901.0). Commonwealth of Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/4D2CE49C30755BE7CA2581BE001540A7/$File/2016%20census%20dictionary.pdf
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2020). Causes of death, Australia. Commonwealth of Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/causes-death-australia/latest-release
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2021). Social isolation and loneliness. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/social-isolation-and-loneliness-covid-pandemic
- Billman, G.E. (2013). The LF/HF ratio does not accurately measure cardiac sympathovagal balance. Frontiers in Physiology, 4, 26. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.00026
- Brom, D., Stokar, Y., Lawi, C., Nuriel-Porat, V., Ziv, Y., Lerner, K., & Ross, G. (2017). Somatic experiencing for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled outcome study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30(3), 304–312. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22189
- Craig, A.D. (2009). How do you feel – Now? The anterior insula and human awareness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(1), 59–70. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2555
- Leitch, M.L. (2007). Somatic experiencing therapy with tsunami survivors in Thailand: Broadening the scope of early intervention. Traumatology, 13(3), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534765607305439
- Leitch, M.L., Vamslyke, J., & Allen, M. (2007). Somatic experiencing treatment with social service workers following hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Social Work, 54(1), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/54.1.9
- Levine, P.A. (2010). In an unspoken voice: How the body releases trauma and restores goodness. North Atlantic Books.
- Levine, P.A. (2015). Trauma and memory: Brain and body in a search for the living past: A practical guide for understanding and working with traumatic memory. North Atlantic Books.
- Lim, M.H. (2018). All the lonely people: Why loneliness is Australia’s next public health crisis, Telstra Exchange. Retrieved from https://exchange.telstra.com.au/all-the-lonely-people-why-loneliness-is-australias-next-public-health-crisis/
- Malliani, A., Pagani, M., Lombardi, F., & Cerutti, S. (1991). Cardiovascular neural regulation explored in the frequency domain. Circulation, 84(2), 482–492. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.84.2.482
- Negpal, M.L., Gleichauf, K., & Ginsberg, J.P. (2013). Meta-analysis of heart rate variability as a psychophysiological indicator of posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Trauma & Treatment, 3(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-1222.1000182
- Parker, C., Doctor, R.M., & Selvam, R. (2008). Somatic therapy treatment effects with tsunami survivors. Traumatology, 14(3), 11–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534765608319080
- Payne, P., Levine, P.A., & Crane-Godreau, M.A. (2015). Somatic experiencing: Using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. Frontiers of Psychology, 6, 93. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093
- Porges, S.W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W.W. Norton & Co.
- Relationships Australia. (2017). December 2017: Loneliness [Online survey]. Retrieved from https://www.relationships.org.au/what-we-do/research/online-survey/december-2017-loneliness
- Riordan, J.P., Blakeslee, A., & Levine, P. (2017). Toddler trauma: Somatic experiencing®, attachment and the neurophysiology of dyadic completion. International Journal of Neuropsychotherapy, 5(1), 41–70. https://doi.org/10.12744/ijnpt.2017.1.0041-0069
- Riordan, J.P., Blakeslee, A., & Levine, P. (2019). Attachment focused-somatic experiencing®: Secure phylogenetic attachment, dyadic trauma and completion across the life cycle. International Journal of Neuropsychotherapy, 7(3), 57–90. https://doi.org/doi:10.12744/ijnpt.2019.057-090
- Schneider, M., & Schwerdtfeger, A. (2020). Autonomic dysfunction in posttraumatic stress disorder indexed by heart rate variability: A meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 50(12), 1937–1948. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003329172000207X
- Schore, A.N. (2019). The development of the unconscious mind. W.W. Norton & Co.
- Van Boxtel, G.J.M., Cluitmans, P.J.M., Raymann, R.J.E.M., Ouwerkerk, M., Denissen, A.J.M., Dekker, M.K.J., & Sitskoorn, M.M. (2018). Heart rate variability, sleep, and the early detection of posttraumatic stress disorder. In E. Vermetten, A.G. Thomas, & C. Neylan (Eds.), Sleep and combat-related post traumatic stress disorder (pp. 253–263). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7148-0