Investigation of the mediator role of emotion dysregulation, interpersonal emotion regulation and suppression in the relationship between insecure attachment styles and obsessive- compulsive symptoms

It is known that disruptions in the emotion regulation process are closely related to mental health problems. Understanding the effect of both the intrapersonal and interpersonal dimensions of emotion regulation on the relationship between insecure attachment and obsessive-compulsive symptoms will provide important information to interventions developed in the literature. In the current study, while examining the relationship between insecure attachment styles and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, the mediating role of difficulty in emotion regulation, interpersonal emotion regulation and suppression will be evaluated. The sample of the study consisted of 353 participants who were older than 18 years of age and did not have any psychiatric diagnosis. Within the scope of the study, the participants were asked to fill in Demographic Information Form, Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Suppression Subtest, Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Scale, Dimensional Obsession Compulsion Scale, and Inventory of Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structure. In accordance with the hypotheses of the study, serial multiple mediator analysis was carried out. Model 6 was selected via the PROCESS plug-in. As a result of the analysis, it was found that difficulty in emotion regulation and suppression play a mediating role in the relationship between anxious attachment and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, both individually and simultaneously. In the same relationship, interpersonal emotion regulation played a mediating role only when it was accompanied by difficulty in emotion regulation and suppression. In the relationship between avoidant attachment and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, suppression was found to play a mediating role both alone and simultaneously with interpersonal emotion regulation. The findings indicate that insecure attachment affect the level of obsessive-compulsive symptom through the emotion regulation process.