Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to examine the mediating role of alexithymia and cognitive flexibility in the relationship between attachment styles and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

Method: This study employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consisted of Iranian adults over the age of 18 from both genders and various educational backgrounds, without a diagnosis of significant mental or physical illness in the year 2023. The sampling method was convenience sampling, and a total of 251 participants (60 men and 191 women) from a non-clinical setting took part in the study. The research instruments included the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), the Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics through structural equation modeling (SEM). Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 21 and AMOS version 22.

Results: The results indicated that the research model demonstrated a good fit with the data. The direct path from attachment styles to obsessive-compulsive symptoms was not significant, whereas the direct paths from alexithymia and cognitive flexibility to obsessive-compulsive symptoms were significant. Additionally, the indirect effects of attachment styles on obsessive-compulsive symptoms through alexithymia and cognitive flexibility were also significant.

Discussion and conclusion: Based on the results of this research, alexithymia and cognitive flexibility play important mediating roles in the relationship between attachment styles and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. It was suggested that psychological interventions should consider the effects of alexithymia and cognitive flexibility in understanding the process of development and manifestation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.