The Mediating Effect of Alexithymia on the Relationship between Attachment and Depression in Early Adulthood
10.12934/jkpmhn.2019.28.2.124
- Author:
Minji GIL
1
;
Suk Sun KIM
Author Information
1. Doctoral Student, Graduate School, Division of Nursing Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Adult;
Depression;
Affective symptoms;
Object attachment
- MeSH:
Adult;
Affective Symptoms;
Depression;
Humans;
Negotiating;
Object Attachment;
Young Adult
- From:Journal of Korean Academy of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
2019;28(2):124-132
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
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.
