Attachment theory predicts that early experiences with caregivers affect the quality of individuals' later (romantic) relationships and, consequently, their mental health. The present study examined the role of intimacy in the current romantic relationship as a possible mediator of the relationship between adult attachment and psychological distress in a clinical and community sample. Results indicated that attachment security was positively, whereas attachment insecurity was negatively, related to intimacy in the current romantic relationship. Furthermore, security of attachment was negatively related to loneliness and depression and positively to satisfaction with life. The reverse held for attachment insecurity. Mediational analyses revealed that intimacy in the current relationship only partially mediated the relationship between attachment and psychological distress. Although near perfect mediation was found for fearful attachment in the clinical sample and for preoccupied attachment in the community sample, the findings with regard to the other attachment styles were less clear-cut. Apart from the hypothesized indirect effect of attachment on psychological distress through intimacy, a direct effect of attachment on psychological distress remains. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Attachment theory predicts that attachment styles 'learned' in previous relational experiences affect the way people cope with stressful events and, consequently, their mental health. The present study tested two mediational models of the relationships between stressful events, attachment style and psychopathology in a sample of 51 student couples. No evidence was found for a mediating role of attachment style in the relationship between stressful events and psychopathology, i.e. attachment style did not influence the effects of stressful events on mental health. Rather, the results indicated that stressful events mediated the association between fearful attachment and psychopathology. It seems as though fearfully attached individuals are more prone to perceive and interpret events as stressful which in turn seems to increase their vulnerability to experience psychological symptoms. Findings are discussed in the context of theory and research on adult attachment.
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