Role of Attachment Styles in Health of Adolescents

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical life period; it is the time of lots of changes, which can be responsible for a lot of stress in a teen’s life. In this period, adolescent’s transition would start from childhood to adulthood. Many of crises related to relationships, self role, sexuality and emotional are commonly found during this time. Many physical or mental health related problems occurs in this phase, such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychosocial disorders, eating disorders, obesity and many others. Students of senior classes are constantly facing many problems i.e. competitiveness with peer groups, their future career options, and their family’s hopes toward them. Attachment styles in adolescents and adults have been found to be associated with their many health outcomes related issues. The objectives of the study were to assess and compare adolescents in Health and Attachment style across the gender and to study the relationship between Health and Attachment style among adolescents. The data was collected on the sample of 300 adolescents’ males (150) and females (150) with in age range of 16-18 years from rohtak district of Haryana. Two tools i.e. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ) were used. The data was analyzed using descriptive (Mean and S.D.) and inferential (t test) and correlation analysis. The result revealed that significant differences found between male and female adolescents on Health’s Somatic Symptoms, Social Dysfunction and Secure, Fearful and Dismissing Attachment Style. Study also reveals significant negative correlations between Somatic Symptoms and Fearful Attachment Style, between Somatic Symptoms and Dismissing Attachment Style, between Anxiety and Secure Attachment Style & between Social Dysfunction and Secure Attachment Style. Whereas significant positive correlations between Social Dysfunction and Preoccupied Attachment Style, between Social Dysfunction and Dismissing Attachment Style.