The relationship between attachment representations and coping strategies among university students in Lebanon

Abstract

It is well known that coping and attachment have a dynamic relationship, with each influencing the other, where coping activates the attachment system, and early attachment relationships remain active throughout the life span as a form of coping mechanism duringtimes of stress. However, the relationship between the four attachment representations that emerged among the Lebanese youth (Secure Interdependence, Secure Distancing, Insecure Detached, and Insecure Unresolved) and the four coping strategies (Control, Withdrawal, Social Support, and Denial) was yet to be explored. Thus, this study aims to assess the relationship between the four attachment representations and the four coping strategies in university students in Lebanon. The research sample comprised 231 male and female, aged between 18 and 28. The Arabic versions of the ETC (Echelle Toulousaine de Coping) and CaMir (Cartes-Modèles Individuels de Relations) were used to measure coping strategies and attachment representations, respectively. Results showed that the most privileged attachment representation among the research sample was Secure Distancing attachment; and the most privileged coping strategy was Control. Additionally, there was a significant positive correlation between the four attachment representations and some of the coping strategies, where regression analysis showed that the four attachment representations positively predicted some of the Four Coping strategies. These findings suggest significant gender differences in the relationship. Overall, this study sheds the light on the importance of early caregiving practices and parent-child relationship