Examining the psychometric properties of the Turkish inventory of parent and peer attachment revised (T-IPPA-R), and the associations between T-IPPA-R and adolescent depression

Abstract

Objective: The attachment theory is one of the essential theories in mental health field, and attachment problems play significant role in development of several health mental problems. Therefore, measures which evaluate the quality of attachment are needed. The aim of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties of the Turkish inventory of parent and peer attachment revised (T-IPPA-R) in an adolescent group aged between 15 and 17. The associations between quality of parent and peer attachment and the adolescent depression will also be investigated. Methods: In this research, 650 adolescents consisting of 42% males (n=252), and 58% females (n=348) were included. The mean age of the males was 15.91±11.10, and the females was 15.94±1.24. Sociodemographic data form, T-IPPA-R, and child depression inventory (CDI) were used. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were performed. Cronbach’s alpha values and goodness of fit indexes of T-IPPA-R were investigated. 2 months after the first evaluation, T-IPPA-R was readministered to participants, and correlation coefficients between test-retest scores were investigated. The correlations between parent and peer parts of T-IPPA-R and CDI were analyzed with Pearson-product moment correlation test. The influence of T-IPPA-R parent and peer attachment scores, age and gender on depression were tested with binary logistic regression analysis. Results: T-IPPA-R has one factor solution. The Cronbach’s alpha value of both parent and peer part of T-IPPA-R was 0.889. The goodness of fit indexes were in acceptable ranges (parent attachment: χ2/sd:3.180, GFI:0.911, AGFI:0.900, CFI:0.924, RMSEA:0.074, RMR: 0.032; adolescent attachment: χ2/sd:2.956, GFI:0.903, AGFI:0.909, CFI:0.901, RMSEA:0.075, RMR: 0.044). The correlation coefficients between test-retest evaluation of T-IPPA-R were strong. There were significant negative correlations between the parent and peer part of T-IPPA-R and CDI scores. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that age, and parent and peer attachment scores significantly predict the depression. Conclusion: T-IPPA-R is a reliable and valid measure in adolescents aged between 15 and 17. Insecure attachment style is a risk factor in the development of adolescent depression. It is suggested that considering the adolescents presenting with depressive symptoms, it is significant to evaluate the attachment problems between the adolescents and their parents and friends.