Examination of depression levels of adults in terms of attachment styles and demographic variables

This research examines adults' depression and attachment styles in terms of various demographic characteristics.394 people participated in the study. Sociodemographic information form, Beck Depression Scale and Three Dimensional Attachment Styles Scale were applied to the participants. Comparison tests were applied to examine the depression and attachment styles of the participants in terms of gender, marital status and income level. Correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between depression and attachment styles. Quantitative analysis methods were applied and the data were entered into the statistical software and made ready for analysis. Independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied for comparison tests. Pearson correlation analysis was applied to examine the relationship between variables. In line with the findings obtained in the study, no significant difference was found in the depression and attachment styles scores of women and men. It was concluded that depression and attachment styles of female and male participants were similar. No significant difference was found in depression scores in terms of marital status. Depression levels of married and single participants were similar. However, attachment styles were found to differ significantly in terms of marital status. Secure attachment scores of married participants were significantly higher than single participants. On the other hand, anxious and avoidant attachment style scores of single participants were found to be significantly higher than married participants. When analyzed in terms of income level, it was found that depression scores of low-income participants were significantly higher than those of middle and high-income participants. Secure attachment level was found to be higher in middle-income participants. When the findings regarding the relationship between depression and attachment styles of the participants were analyzed, a negative and significant relationship was found between secure attachment style and depression. A positive and significant correlation was found between depression and anxious and avoidant attachment styles. There was no significant correlation between age and depression. There was a negative and significant correlation between anxious-ambivalent attachment style and age. It was found that avoidant and secure attachment styles significantly predicted 31% of the depression level. The findings obtained in the study were compared with previous studies and suggestions for further research and applications were presented. Keywords: Depression, Attachment, Adulthood, Attachment Styles.