The relationship between adult attachment styles with somatization and depression and the mediation role of perceived social support abstract

Purpose: This study aims to examine the relationships between depression, somatization, attachment styles and the mediating role of perceived social support in these relationships. Method: The sample of the study consisted of a total of 467 adult participants, with 202 (43.3%) women and 265 (56.7%) men with a mean age of 32.53±8.95 years. The Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Other Information Form, Experiences in Close Relationships-II (ECR-II), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (PSS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Somatization Scale (SS) were applied to the participants. Independent Groups T-Test, One-Way Anova, Pearson Correlation and Hierarchical Regression Analysis were applied to all the participants. Results: ECR-II anxiety dimension score of the sample was found to be significantly positively correlated with PSS and BDI scores. A significantly positive relation was also observed between ECR-II avoidance dimension and PSS scores whereas SS and BDI scores are found to be negatively correlated. PSS scores proved to be mediating variable in the relationship between ECR-II avoidance dimension and SS scores. Findings were unable to prove PSS to be mediating variable between ECR-II avoidance dimension and BDI scores as well as ECR-II anxiety dimension and SS scores. Conclusion: As attachment anxiety and avoidance levels increase, depression and somatization level are found to increase while PSS decrease. PSS is proved to be a significantly positive mediating variable between attachment avoidance and somatization.