Determining Attachment Styles of the Residents (Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, 2014)

Introduction: The Attachment system as described by John Bowlby, is an innate human tendency and it is in the service of infants to form a relationship with primary care givers for normal development. In adulthood, this system is activated under stressful conditions and the person responds to it based upon previous internal models of self and the others. Considering the importance of a secure style for health care professionals, the purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the attachment style in the residents of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.

Methods: In this cross sectional study 243 residents in different specialties were recruited and divided into 3 groups. We assessed the attachment styles of the participants using Van Oudenhoven's Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire. Statistical analysis and comparisons between the groups was performed by ANOVA, Chi square and t tests using SPSS-16.

Results: The percentage of secure, dismissing, fearful and preoccupied styles in the residents were, 56%, 15.2%, 6.6% and 22.2%, respectively. No difference in attachment styles among these three groups was found. However, the female residents had a more secure score compared to the male participants.

Conclusion: This study, as a preliminary one, offers some questions that may be addressed in the future studies. Paying attention to the attachment styles in the medical students, residents and health care professionals may lead to design proper programs to enhance their abilities to empathize with their patients and development of more effective relationships in their career.