The relationship among attachment patterns, mindfulness and psychological symptoms in university students

The present study aimed to examine the relationships among attachment, mindfulness, and psychological symptoms and included 452 university students as sample. Participants' attachment styles, levels of mindfulness, and levels of psychological symptoms were investigated separately and in relation to each other. Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, Mindfulness Scale, and Short Symptoms Inventory were employed. Participants were also asked to answer a demographic information form with the questions of gender, age, and socio-economic level. Results demonstrated that there was a negative relationship between the levels of mindfulness and anxious attachment and between global severity index and secure attachment whereas there was a positive relationship between the levels of mindfulness and avoidant attachment, between global severity index and anxious attachment, and between avoidant attachment and secure attachment. Regression analyses showed that levels of attachment styles was significantly related with mindfulness. Also, there was not a significant relationship between mindfulness and trauma. Demographic characteristics indicated that there was a significant difference between male and female participants on the each sub-category of attachment styles. Additionally, participants' ages lead to a difference on their anxious attachment and global severity index whilst their socio-economic levels lead to a difference only on their global severity index. Suggesting that attachment and mindfulness are associated with psychological symptoms, overall results has been discussed in the light of previous literature.