The Effect of Attachment Styles on The Symptoms of Depression and Emotional Dysregulation with the Mediation of Mentalization in Nurses

As one of the most important members of the health care team, nurses play a vital role in the care-treatment system. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of attachment styles on the symptoms of depression and emotional dysregulation with the mediation of mentalization in nurses.

The present research is a descriptive-correlation type of structural equations. The research community included all the nurses working in hospitals and medical centers in Tehran, and 220 of them were selected by available sampling method. in order to collect data, beck depression inventory-II, adult attachment inventory, reflective functioning questionnaire, and difficulties in emotion regulation Scale were used. For data analysis, Pearson correlation, structural equation modeling and SPSS version 26 and AMOS version 24 software were used.

The results of the findings show the fit of the assumed model. Also, the coefficients of the direct paths of secure attachment style (β = -0.19, T = -2.301), avoidant (β = 0.46, T = 3.39) and ambivalent (T = 0.61, 3.09) = β) was significant to depression. Direct paths of attachment style - secure (T = -0.40, β = -0.28), avoidant (T = β = 0.65, 13) and ambivalent (β = 0.52, T = 3.79) ) was significant to emotional dysregulation. Also, the analysis of research findings indicated the mediating role of mentalization in the relationship between attachment styles and symptoms of depression and emotional dysregulation.

According to the findings of the current research, mentalization has an important effect on the symptoms of depression and emotional dysregulation. Therefore, targeted interventions that are used in order to increase the capacity of mentalization, can probably have better clinical outcomes for nurses.