Adult attachment interviews of women from low-rsk, poverty, and maltreatment risk samples: comparison between the hostile/helpless and traditional AAI coding system

The main aim of this study was to investigate the Hostile Helpless (HH) classification system in women belonging to a community sample and two different at-risk conditions. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) protocols of 67 women from a not at-risk population, 20 women from low-SES population, and 15 women with a past history of trauma monitored by the social services for the protection of juveniles (maltreatment sample) were reliably coded blind to the samples’ status by reliable coders for both HH and traditional AAI classification systems. The rates of HH classification increased in relation to the risk status of the three samples, ranging from 9% for the low-risk sample to 60% for the maltreatment sample. Six HH codes best discriminated women with a HH state of mind, with 96% correct classification. Last, HH classification was more in evidence than U/CC classification (44%) in women from the maltreatment sample and so the independence of these coding indexes was partly confirmed. These results contribute to a better understanding and support of the relevance of the HH classification in the framework of trauma antecedents. The main aim of the study was to investigate the correlates of a Hostile/Helpless (HH) state of mind among 67 women belonging to a community sample and two diferent at risk samples matched on socio-economic indicators, including 20 women from low SES polulation (poverty sample) and 15 women at risk for maltreatment being monitored by the social services for the protection of Juvenilea (maltreatment risk sample)