Abstract
Background & Objectives: Adolescence is a critical period of development characterized by unique challenges and vulnerabilities. One of the most significant behaviors adolescents exhibit in response to challenges is self–harm, which carries both personal and social consequences. One of the most significant factors influencing the occurrence of self–harming behaviors is the presence of psychological distress in adolescents. Psychological distress refers to a group of negative emotional states such as anxiety, depression, and stress, which can have a considerable impact on an individual’s mental health and well–being. Another predictive variable in the occurrence of psychological distress is attachment styles. According to John Bowlby, attachment is an enduring emotional bond between a developing child and a caregiver that affects social development and psychological functioning throughout a lifetime. Some studies have examined mechanisms that increase the impact of attachment styles on psychological distress. One of these mechanisms is a protective variable, self–compassion, which moderates negative emotions. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the relationships among attachment styles, psychological distress, and self–compassion in self–harming adolescents.
Methods: The current descriptive–analytical research employed structural equation modeling as its research approach. The statistical population of the research included all self–harming adolescents aged 13 to 18 living in Shiraz City, Iran, in the spring of 2023. Of whom, 275 were selected by a convenience sampling method. Participants were required to meet specific criteria, including a willingness to participate in the study and a demonstration of self–harm. Incomplete responses to questionnaire items served as the exclusion criterion. Informed consent was obtained from the subjects orally to participate in the study, and to maintain confidentiality, no identifying information was collected. After selecting the statistical sample, the research questionnaires were distributed in paper form by the first researcher to adolescent clients at 4 psychology clinics in Shiraz. Data were collected through the Attachment Style Questionnaire (Collins & Read, 1990), the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (Kessler et al., 2002), the Self–compassion Scale (Neff, 2003), and the Inventory of Statements About Self–Injury (Klonsky & Glenn, 2009). For data analysis, in the descriptive statistics section, central and dispersion indices, such as the mean and standard deviation, were used. In the inferential statistics section, the structural equation modeling method was used in SPSS version 22 and AMOS version 22.
Results: Results showed that the direct effects of secure attachment style on psychological distress (β= –0.257, p<0.001) and self–compassion (β=0.338, p<0.001), the direct effects of avoidant attachment style on psychological distress (β=0.157, p=0.031) and self–compassion (β= –0.162, p=0.037), as well as the direct effect of self–compassion on psychological distress (β= –0.362, p<0.001) were significant. The indirect effects of secure attachment style (β = –0.122, p = 0.002) and avoidant attachment style (β = 0.059, p = 0.032) on psychological distress, mediated by self–compassion, were significant. The indirect effect of anxious attachment style (β=0.028, p=0.315) mediated by self–compassion on psychological distress was not significant. In addition, according to the indicators of the proposed research model, the collected data had an acceptable fit (χ²/df=1.925, CFI=0.939, GFI=0.897, RMSEA=0.077, IFI=0.941).
Conclusion: According to the results of the study, attachment styles, mediated by self–compassion, play a significant role in the psychological distress of self–harming adolescents. The present study indicates the importance of psychological factors, such as attachment styles and self–compassion, in the psychological distress of this group of adolescents.