Secondary Attachment and Mental Health of Pakistani and Scottish Adolescents

Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh

Previous research on attachment and mental health in adolescents tended to focus on primary attachment with an underlying assumption that secure childhood attachment representation continues in adolescence with positive mental health outcomes. However, the unique role of secondary attachment in relation to mental health of adolescents has been overlooked because of methodological constraints. The role of culture has also been under-researched. The present investigation aims to examine the unique role of secondary attachment and its interaction with primary attachment, bipolar dimensions of mental health (Psychological Distress/Well-being) and coping strategies in two independent adolescent samples from two different cultures i.e. Collectivist (Pakistan) and Individualistic (Scotland). Three cross-sectional studies have been planned. Study 1 will comprise of translation and validation of scales: Experiences in Close Relationship-12, WHOTO (attachment hierarchy), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations-21 and 3-subscales of Ryff`s Psychological Well-being Scale into Urdu language for Pakistani adolescents. Study 2 and 3 will be conducted in parallel on Pakistani and Scottish school adolescents (12-18 years) respectively. The need to extend the focus of research from primary to secondary attachment is advantageous from prevention, intervention and treatment perspective. Investigation of cultural differences will also help determine to what extent our results could be generalizable across cultures.

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