In this thesis, a perspective of attachment theory is used to investigate relationships between adverse childhood experiences, adult attachment style, emotion regulation strategies, and distress... Show moreIn this thesis, a perspective of attachment theory is used to investigate relationships between adverse childhood experiences, adult attachment style, emotion regulation strategies, and distress before and after predictive testing, in persons from families with a late onset hereditary disorder. The hereditary disorders at issue are Huntington__s disease (HD), Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), Hereditary Cerebral Hemorrhage With Amyloidosis __ Dutch type (HCHWA-D), or BRCA1 or BRCA2 Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC).The aim of the studies described in this thesis was to find out whether growing up with a parent who has one of these hereditary diseases is associated with adverse childhood experiences in offspring, whether there is a relationship between these experiences and adult psychological characteristics, especially attachment style and style of emotion regulation, and whether these characteristics are associated with the level of distress during and after predictive genetic testing. Show less
