The relationship between attachment, psychological symptomatology and well-being among first-year higher education students

ABSTRACT: This study investigates the relationships between attachment, psychological symptomatology and well-being among first year higher education students. More specifically, the hypotheses explored were (1) the security of the attachment to the mother, father and other significant person is negatively associated with the emergence of psychological symptomatology at the end of first semester; and (2) the security of the attachment to the mother, father and other significant person is positively associated with well-being at the end of first semester. A total of 316 first year higher education students completed the Avaliação de Relações Significativas, Brief Symptom Inventory and Echelle de Mesure des Manifestations du Bien-Etre Psychologique. Avoidance in relation to the mother, father and other significant person was positively and significantly correlated with psychological symptomatology and negatively and significantly correlated with well-being. Anxiety relative to the other significant person was positively and significantly correlated with psychological symptomatology and negatively and significantly correlated with well-being. Overall, the results suggest that understanding the relationships between attachment and psychological adjustment may be important in facilitating the transition and adjustment to higher education.

]]> Key words: Attachment, Psychological symptomatology, Transition to higher education, Well-being

 

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*Esta investigação foi suportada por uma bolsa de investigação atribuída pela Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia – SFRH/BD/16773/2004.

^** Contactar para E-mail: smonteiro@dce.ua.pt

Recebido em 20 de Dezembro de 2006 / aceite em 3 de Março de 2007

 

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