Relationship Between Attachment, Alexithymia And Depression

Objective:This study was to investigate the relationship between attachment,alexithymia and depression.We have two proposes:(1)To investigate the attachment level of high school and colledge students; (2)To explore the relationship between early attachment experience and adult attachment;(3)To explore the relationship between attachment,alexithymia and depression and to find its path using path analysis.Methods:In this study,452 high school and colledege students finished a battery of questionnaire,including the Adult Attachment Questionnaire3.1(AAQ3.1),the Relationship Questionnaire(RQ),the Experiences in Close Relationship scale(ECR),the Chinese translation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale(TAS-20-C) and the Beck 13-item Depression Inventory(BDI-13),which test participants' early attachment experiences,adult attachment type,adult attachment style,alexithymia and depression,respectively.Results:Independent-Samples t-test revealed significant differences between male and female students on AAQ3.1.Male students got significant higher scores on mother attachment(P=0.000),father attachment(P=0.000) and adult attachment avoidance(P=0.025) than female students.Participants who had bad experiences got higher scores on mother attachment and father attachment than none-group (P=0.000).384(85%) participants reported their adult attachment types:secure 33.6%,dismissing 19.5%,preoccupied 31.8%,fearful 15.1%.Correlation analysis revealed that 54%factors of AAQ3,1 and ECR were significantly correlated with each other,r=0.094～0.181.Mother attachment(bad early attachment experiences with mother) was significantly correlated with attachment anxiety(r=0.212,P＜0.01),father attachment(bad early attachment experiences with father) was significantly correlated with attachment avoidance(r=0.115,P＜0.05). Dismissing participants got significant higher scores than fearful on father attachment(P=0.010).Path analysis showed that mother attachment has significant and direct affect on attachment anxiety and no significant affect on attachment avoidance;father attachment has significant and direct affect on attachment avoidance and no significant affect on attachment anxiety.The model fit good:GFI=0.995,AGFI=0.983, NFI=0.980,RFI=0.960,CFI=0.993,RMSEA=0.035.Correlation analysis revealed that mother attachment and father attachment were significantly correlated with alexithymia and depression(r=-0.132～0.246).ECR adult attachment were significantly correlated with alexithymia and depression(r=0.166～0.413).Model of the path of early attachment experience,adult attachment,alexithymia and depression fit well,GFI=0.994,AGFI=0.978,NFI=0.982,RFI=0.954, CFI=0.995,RMSEA=0.030.Early attachment experience had direct affect on depression,and the affect was also mediated by alexithymia.Mother attachment had both direct and indirect affect on depression with mediating affect of alexithymia;the affect of father attachment on depression was mediated by attachment avoidance and alexithymia completely.The affect of adult attachment on depression is mediated by alexithymia,the affect of attachment avoidance on depression was totally mediated by alexithymia,the affect of attachment anxiety on depression was partially mediated by alexithymia.Conclusions:Attachment,alexithymia and depression are significantly correlated.Bad attachment experiences with mother are significantly correlated with adult attachment anxiety,bad attachment experences with father are significantly correlated with adult attachment avoidance.Attachment has direct affect on depression,and the affect is also mediated by alexithymia.