**7. Conclusion**

In conclusion, the present study provides interesting results on the relationship between childhood traumatic experiences, romantic attachment and post-traumatic stress disorder, considering both the limited number of investigations involving nonclinical samples and the novelty of the application of a functional approach.

In particular, the results of the present study point out the role of emotional forms of trauma in later psychopathology and well-being, evidencing the role of severe impairment of early emotional regulation on stress and socio-emotional development.

The present results might be considered in a clinical framework, pointing to some aspects which should be included and focused on in the intervention with adults experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the connection with a childhood history of abuse. From this study, we discover the role of anxiety and avoidance in close relationship as features to include in the clinical work with female victims presenting PTSD in adulthood.

In particular, programs of intervention should consider focusing on affect and interpersonal regulatory skills and implement strategies addressing the work on fear of abandonment as well as on avoidance of intimacy, in order to boost more adaptive coping skills to face stressful situations. Namely, reducing the negative self-believes and/or other-believes which lead to dependence on or avoidance of the other people may reduce their hyper sensibility to stressful situation and their avoidance of negative emotion. Both features characterize affect dysregulation, interpersonal disturbance and negative self-concept typical of complex PTSD. Finally, results about the presence of PTSD among female students suggest the need for further studies and screening in general populations.
