ABSTRACT
Background and Purpose: The relationship between the quality of attachment and psychological injuries include a wide range of psychological research. The aim of this study was to compare the attachment styles in normal students and those with high depressive symptoms
Materials and methods: This case-control research involved the population of female university students at the Teacher Training University of Tehran during the education year 2010-2011. The sample included 82 students [41 depressed and 41 normal]. The instruments were Beck Depression Inventory [BDI], clinical interview and Revised Adult Attachment Scale [Collins and Read, 1990]. To analyze the data the multivariate analysis of variance [MANOVA] was used in SPSS 16
Results: Mean scores of the depressed and non-depressed students in three attachment styles [secure, avoidance insecure and ambivalent insecure] were 55.44 +/- 4.33, 12.59 +/- 2.55, 13.13 +/- 2.77, 18.69 +/- 4.23, 13.35 +/- 3.01 and 88.44 +/- 1.67 respectively. The mean score of depressed insecure ambivalent style was higher than that of the non-depressed group [F=5.59, P<0.02]; and the mean score of the non-depressed group was higher than that of the depressed secure attachment style [14.18, P<0.001]. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the avoidance attachment style [p<0.19]
Conclusion: Based on the results, non-depressed people have a secure attachment style and depressed ones have an ambivalent insecure style