Interpersonal Attachment Styles and Body Dysmorphic Symptoms in Adolescent Girls: The Mediating Role of Body Image

Rasoul Heshmati; Monica Pellerone; Maryam Ramazan Nejad Esfandi; Narges Yeganeh; Esa Jafari

doi:10.36131/cnfioritieditore20230206

Interpersonal Attachment Styles and Body Dysmorphic Symptoms in Adolescent Girls: The Mediating Role of Body Image

Clin Neuropsychiatry. 2023 Apr;20(2):141-150. doi: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20230206.

Authors

Rasoul Heshmati¹, Monica Pellerone², Maryam Ramazan Nejad Esfandi¹, Narges Yeganeh¹, Esa Jafari³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
² Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, "Kore" University of Enna, Enna, Italy.
³ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Payame Noor University, Ardabil, Iran.

Abstract

Objective: Body dysmorphic symptoms are one of the most common problems in adolescent girls. The experience of security or insecurity in childhood attachment can be one of the most important fundamental factors affecting the body image and, consequently, body dysmorphic symptoms. However, the mediator role of the body image in the relationship between body dysmorphic and interpersonal attachment styles has not been studied in previous researches. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of body image in the relationship between interpersonal attachment styles and body dysmorphic symptoms.

Method: In a cross-sectional research, 250 adolescent girls from Baqer al-Uloom School in Tabriz, were selected by convenient sampling method. Then, The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scales (MBSRQ-AS), Body Dysmorphic Metacognitive Questionnaire (BDMCQ) and Collins and Reid's Attachment Styles Scale (RAAS) were used to data collection.

Results: The findings showed ambivalent attachment style was positively related to body image (β=-0.91, p<0.01) The direct effect of ambivalent attachment style on body dysmorphic symptom is significant (β=0.76, p<0.01). The pathway between body image and body dysmorphic symptom is negatively significant (β= -0.75, p<0.01). Also, the hypothesized model has an acceptable goodness-of-fit.

Conclusions: Based on the results, it can be said that in interventions, it is necessary to pay attention to the important role of interpersonal attachment styles and body image in body dysmorphic symptoms.

Keywords: adolescent girls; attachment styles; body dysmorphic symptoms; body image.