Attachment and psychopathology in adolescents from the North of Chile

Most research on attachment and psychopathology has focused on children, and more recently on adults and young adults. Few studies have considered the relationship between attachment and psychopathology in adolescence, despite its relevance for in mental health. The shortage of this type of research within adolescent samples is unusual despite that adolescence is a critical period of psychological adjustment. The present study describes attachment patterns in a non-clinical sample of Chilean adolescents and their relationship with psychopathological symptomatology. The participants were 1,042 adolescents aged 13 and 17 (M = 14.83, SD = 1.19, 57.4% were women) from the City of Arica in northern Chile. The attachment style was evaluated through the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR-RS) and the psychopathology symptomatology through the Brief Inventory of Symptoms (BSI). The results reveal a high percentage of adolescents with insecure attachment styles, specifically attachment avoidant style. Adolescents classified with fearful attachment style showed a greater presence of indicators of psychopathological symptomatology (somatization, obsession-compulsion, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety. paranoia, interpersonal sensitivity and psychoticism). In conclusion, it is established that Chilean adolescents from the city of Arica are more likely to exhibit insecure attachment styles, fearful attachment being the most frequent association with psychopathological symptomatology. These results support the model of psychopathology based in the influences of early relationships with caregivers and provide evidence for the planning of programs for prevention of psychopathology during child and adolescent stages.