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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 6
Publication Date: June 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/assrj.96.12469. Yongmei, H., & Hongyu, Z. (2022). The Influence of Adult Attachment on Mental Health among Medical Undergraduates. Advances
in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(6). 126-132.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
The Influence of Adult Attachment on Mental Health among
Medical Undergraduates
Hou Yongmei
Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and
Administration, Guangdong Medical University
Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China
Zhong Hongyu
Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and
Administration, Guangdong Medical University
Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China
ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the present status of adult attachment and mental health, and
analyze the impact of adult attachment on mental health among medical
undergraduates. Methods Stratified random sampling was used to select 855
medical undergraduates from Guangdong Province, China. They were investigated
with Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory (ECR) and Symptom Check-List
90 (SCL-90). Results (1) The scores in the both dimensions of ECR, as well as the total
score of SCL-90 were (3.89±0.74), (3.77±0.55) and (1.87±0.47), respectively. The
scores of obsessive-compulsive and interpersonal sensitivity were above 2.0, the
lower score limit of postive symptom. (2) Multiple linear stepwise regression
showed that both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance positively
predicted the total score of SCL-90 (β=.302, .280, all P<.001). Conclusion The adult
attachment and mental health of medical undergraduates need to be improved.
Adult attachment may be an important influencing factor of mental health.
Key Words: Medical Undergraduates, Adult Attachment, Mental Health, Influencing
Factors, Multiple Linear Stepwise Regression.
Mental health refers to the phenomenon that individuals achieve the best state in physical,
intellectual and emotional aspects, they can give full play to their potential and reasonably cope
with the normal pressure in life, so as to work productively and make positive contributions to
their country and society [1].
Mental health not only has a comprehensive impact on individuals' body and mind, but also has
a far-reaching impact on their environment, such as family, school and even the whole society.
Poor mental state is a key risk factor for many behavioral and mental problems, such as poor
academic or professional development, interpersonal conflict, conduct problems,
psychosomatic diseases, obsessive- compulsive disorder, eating disorders, drug dependence,
game dependence, schizophrenia and so on. It is also an important reason for the economic
burden of global diseases [2].
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 9, Issue 6, June-2022
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
related to threat [11]. People with attachment avoidance can easily recover their calm mood
and life order from major negative events. However, the stability of emotion is only superficial,
which is an excessive protection of themselves, and can not completely eliminate the negative
emotions. In the face of negative emotional information, the skin electrical conduction of
attachment avoidant is enhanced [12] and the cardiac relaxation period is shortened [13],
indicating that such information makes him feel pressure. Although he inhibits expression, he
actually experiences a high level of anxiety.
To sum up, the previous literature mainly focus community adults, with small samples for
convenient sampling and the content focusing on the relationship between adult attachment
and specific psychological symptoms, such as the impact of adult attachment on depression,
emotional regulation, or interpersonal relationships, etc. There is a lack of research on the
relationship between adult attachment and the overall mental health of college students.
Therefore, it is impossible to grasp the role of adult attachment on college students' mental
health from the macro level, and it is not conducive to the prediction and intervention of related
behavioral problems.
Based on the above analysis, this study intends to use a large sample and multi center
questionnaire survey to understand the current situation of medical college students' mental
health and adult attachment and the relationship between them.
OBJECTS AND METHODS
Objects
Stratified random sampling method was used to select medical undergraduates from 7 colleges
in Guangdong Province, including Guangdong Medical University, Medical School of Sun Yat- sen University, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese
Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Medical School of Shantou University and
Guangzhou Medical University. A total of 900 questionnaires were distributed, and 855 valid
questionnaires were recovered, with an effective rate of 95.0%. There are 447 boys and 408
girls; 160 from Guangdong Medical University, 85 from Medical School of Sun Yat-sen
University, 171 from Southern Medical University, 144 from Guangzhou University of
Traditional Chinese Medicine, 94 from Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 77 from Medical
School of Shantou University and 124 from Guangzhou Medical University. 222 freshmen, 188
sophomores, 161 juniors, 146 seniors and 138 fifth-year students.
Tools
Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, ECR
Self-evaluation scale complied by Brennan et al (1998) [14] and revised by Li Tonggui et al
(2006) [15] into Chinese version. There are 36 items, which are divided into two dimensions:
attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Likert 7-point scoring method is used to score
from 1 to 7 points corresponding to “completely disapproval” to “completely approval”. The
higher the score, the more obvious the tendency of this dimension (item). If the score of a
dimension (item) is greater than 4.9, it belongs to a high score; the score of a dimension (item)
is greater than 3.5 but less than 4.9, which belongs to the middle level; if the score of a
dimension (item) is less than 3.5, it belongs to a low score. In this study, the Cronbach's α
coefficients of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance are 0.821 and 0.807, respectively.