Relationship between Attachment Styles and Avoidant Coping Strategies in Mothers of Children with Hearing Impairment

Background and Attachment style is a determining factor in one’s capability in problem solving and adaptation to problems and frustrations. Present study aimed to investigate the relationship between attachment styles with avoidant coping styles in mothers of children with hearing impairment. Current research was a correlational study. 151 mothers of children with hearing impairment that were studying in special schools in Tabriz and its suburbs in 2013-2014 academic year were selected using census sampling method. Participants completed Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire (Read and Collins, 1990) and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (Endler & Parker, 1990). The results showed that avoidant insecure attachment in mothers of children with hearing impairment could predict their avoidant coping strategy (t=2, p0/04>); However, secure attachment style (t=0/91, p0/36>) and ambivalent insecure attachment style (t=1/11, p0/261>) could not significantly predict avoidant coping strategies. Therefore, there was no correlation between attachment styles of mothers of children with hearing impairment and their avoidant coping strategy, and insecure attachment style of mothers was the only variable that could predict their avoidant coping strategy. According to our findings, mothers’ psychological well-being deficits may affect the relationship between attachment styles and avoidant coping strategies in mothers of children with hearing impairment.