The Mediating Effect of Alexithymia on the Relationship between Attachment and Depression in Early Adulthood / 정신간호학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of alexithmia on the relationship between attachment and depression in early adulthood. METHODS: A convenience sample of 260 young adults responded to the survey. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and path analyses using bootstrapping. RESULTS: The path analysis indicated that anxious attachment and alexithymia was positively related to depression, but there was not a significant relationship between avoidant attachment and depression. In a modified path model, alexithymia mediated the positive effects of anxious attachment and avoidant attachment on depression. CONCLUSION: Our study findings suggest that early adults who have insecure attachments are vulnerable to alexithymia and depression. Targeted interventions to improve emotional expressive ability may reduce depression in early adulthood.