Attachment and personality in the psychological health of adolescents

Attachment is argued to be a major influence on psychological health, However, research examining attachment and psychological health in adolescents frequently fails to distinguish between the different dimensions of psychological health and their differential relationship to attachment and key personality and life event variables. This cross-sectional study of 404 adolescents examined the role of attachment, neuroticism, extraversion, and positive and negative life events in psychological well-being and distress. Quality of attachment to parents, but not peers, predicted increased well-being and decreased distress independent of neuroticism, extraversion, and life event variables. It is concluded that while parental attachment is implicated in psychological health, the role and status of measures of quality of peer relationships as attachment is unclear. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.