Fundamentals of Mental Health

Fundamentals of Mental Health

Moderating role of insecure attachment styles in the relationship between spiritual compatibility with spiritual growth and psychological distress in university students who experienced emotional failure

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Abbas Amanelahi 1
Safa Safaei Moghadam 2
Manochehr Taghipour 3
1 Associate professor, Department of Counseling, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2 MA. in counseling, Department of Counseling, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
3 MA, Instructor, Department of Counseling, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
10.22038/jfmh.2022.20068
Abstract
Introduction: This study aimed to determine mediating role of insecure attachment styles on relationship between spiritual compatibility with spiritual growth and psychological distress in university students who experienced emotional failure.
 
Materials and Methods: The statistical community of this study consisted of all male students in Ahvaz universities who experienced emotional failure in their relationships with girls. Among them, 200 men were selected by the purposeful sampling method. The research instruments included spiritual compatibility questionnaire, spiritual assessment inventory, revised attachment styles questionnaire, and psychological distress questionnaire. Data analyzed through SPSS-21, regression, and simple correlation method.
 
Results: The results showed that there is a significant relation between spiritual compatibility with spiritual growth (P= 0.001, r= 0.58) and also there is a negative relation between spiritual compatibility and psychological distress (P= 0.001, r= -0.17). Also the results of mediating regression showed that insecure attachment style mediate the relation between spiritual compatibility with spiritual growth (P= 0.05, β= -1.12) but insecure attachment style does not mediate the relation between spiritual compatibility and psychological distress (P= 0.96, β= 0.03).
 
Conclusion: According to the results, spiritual compatibility plays a role in spiritual growth and mental health. Insecure attachment style has a moderating role in the relationship between spiritual compatibility and spiritual growth.
Keywords
Attachment styles
Psychological distress
Spiritual compatibility
Spiritual growth
  1. Epp MC, Futris TG, Epp JC, Campbell K. The impact of the PICK a partner relationship education program on single army soldiers. Fam Consum Sci Res J 2008; 36(4): 328-49.
  2. Buss DM. Breaking up romantic relationship: Costs experienced and coping strategies deployed. Evol Psychol 2008; 6: 164-81.
  3. Cavendish R, Konecny L, Mitzeliotis C. Spiritual care activities of nursing using Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC) labels. Int J Nurs Terminol Classif 2003; 14(4): 113-24.
  4. Koenig HG. Handbook of religion and health. Oxford, N.Y: Oxford University; 2001.
  5. Pargament KI. The psychology of religion and coping: Theory, research, practice. New York: Guilford; 1997.
  6. Pargament KI, Desai K, McConnell KM. Spirituality: A pathway to posttraumatic growth or decline? In: Tedeschi R, Calhoun L. (editors). Handbook of posttraumatic growth: Research and practice. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum; 2007:
    121-37.
  7. Sbarra DA. Predicting the onset of emotional recovery following non marital relationship dissolution: Survival analyses of sadness and anger. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 2006; 32: 298-312.
  8. Davis D, Shaver PR, Vernon ML. Physical, emotional, and behavioral reactions to breaking up: The roles of gender, age, emotional involvement, and attachment style. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 2003; 29(7): 871-84.
  9. Dohrenwend BP, Shrout PE, Egri G, Mendelsohn FS. Nonspecific psychological distress and other dimensions of psychopathology: Measures for use in the general population. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1980; 37(11): 1229-65.
  10. Rasouli M, Yaghmaee F, Alavi Majd H, Saeed Alzakirin M. [Design and psychometrics of measure of spiritual compatibility towards adolescents living in dormitory centers]. Iranian journal of psychiatry and clinical psychology 2010; 15(1): 25-32. (Persian)
  11. Collins NL, Read SJ. Adult attachment, working models, and relationship quality in dating couples. J Pers Soc Psychol 1990; 58(4): 644-63.
  12. Pakdaman S. [Study of relation between attachment styles and sociality in adolescence]. Tehran: Educational Sciences Faculty, Tehran University; 2001. (Persian)
  13. Feeney JA, Noller P. Attachment style as a predictor of adult romantic relationships. J Pers Soc Psychol 1990; 58(2): 281-91.
  14. Hall T, Edwards KJ. The spiritual assessment inventory: A theistic model and measure for assessing spiritual development. J Sci Study Relig 1966; 41(2): 341-57.
  15. Horowitz MJ, Siegel B, Holen A, Bonanno GA, Milbrath C, Stinson CH. Diagnostic criteria for complicated grief disorder. Am J Psychol 1997; 154: 904-10.
  16. Kessler RC, Andrews G, Colpe LJ, Hiripi E, Mroczek DK, Normand LT, et al. Short screening scales to monitor population prevalence’s and trends in nonspecific psychological distress. Psychol Med 2002; 32(6): 959-76.
  17. Ano GG, Vasconcelles EB. Religious coping and psychological adjustment to stress: A meta-analysis. J Clin Psychol 2005; 61: 461-80.
  18. Shaw A, Joseph S, Linley PA. Religion, spirituality, and posttraumatic growth: a systematic review. Ment Health Relig Cult 2005; 8: 1-11.
  19. Hills J, Paice JA, Cameron JR, Shot S. Spirituality and distress in palliative care consultation. Palliat Med 2005; 8: 25-38.
  20. Ganzevoort RR. Religious coping reconsidered, part one: An integrated approach. J Psychol Theol 1998; 26(3):
    260-75.
  21. Hawley R. The role of spirituality and sexuality in response to romantic breakup. The Graduate College of Bowling Green State University; 2012.
  22. Mahoney A, Pargament KI, DeMaris A. Couples viewing marriage and pregnancy through the lens of the sacred: A descriptive study. Res Soc Sci Study Relig 2009; 20: 1-45.
  23. Desrosiers A, Miller M. Relational spirituality and depression in adolescent girl. Clin Psychol 2007; 63(10):
    1021-37.
  24. Kim Y, Spillers RL, Hall DL. Quality of life of family caregivers 5 years after a relative's cancer diagnosis: follow- up of the national quality of life survey for caregivers. Psychooncology 2009; 20: 345-53.
Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume 24, Issue 3
May and June 2022
Pages 153-160