Clinical Psychology and Personality

Clinical Psychology and Personality

Structural Model of the Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Alexithymia and Cognitive Flexibility

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 PhD Student in Health Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating roles 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, including both genders and individuals from various educational backgrounds, without a diagnosis of significant mental or physical illness in 2023. Convenience sampling was used, resulting in a total of 251 participants (60 men and 191 women) from a non-clinical setting. 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). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics through structural equation modeling (SEM). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 21 and AMOS version 22.
Results: The findings indicated that the research model exhibited 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, mediated by alexithymia and cognitive flexibility, were also significant.
Discussion and conclusion: Based on the results of this study, alexithymia and cognitive flexibility play significant mediating roles in the relationship between attachment styles and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. It is suggested that psychological interventions should address the effects of alexithymia and cognitive flexibility to better understand the development and manifestation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
Keywords

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