The Influences of Adult Attachment and Gender onMental Health Among Medical Undergraduates

Abstract

Objective:To explore the present status and charactistics of adult attachmentand mental health among medical undergraduates, and analyze the influences of gender and adult attachment categery on mental health among medical undergraduates. Methods: Stratified random sampling was used to select 855 medical undergraduates from Guangdong Province, China. They were investigated with Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory (ECR) and Symptom Check-List90 (SCL-90). Results: (1) The scores in the dimensions of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance of ECR were (3.89±0.74) and (3.77±0.55), respectively. There are 30.53% of students in this group with a secure attachment style, 12.63% with a preoccupied attachment style, 15.09% with a dimissingattachment style, and 41.75% with a fearful attachment style. (2) The total score of SCL-90 was (1.87±0.47), andthe scores of obsessive-compulsive and interpersonal sensitivity were higher than 2.0, the lower score limit of postive symptom. (3) The positive rates of mental problems of students with different genders and attachment styles were significantly different (<i>χ</i>²=107.598-303.919, all <I>P</I><.001). Conclusion: The adult attachment and mental health of medical undergraduates need to be improved. Gender and adult attachment may be important influencing factors of mental health.