- Title
- Attachment styles, coping strategies, personal meaning, and mental health in nonclinical adults
- Creator
- Gerber, Ora
- Subject
- Attachment behavior -- South Africa
- Subject
- Mental illness -- South Africa Psychology, Applied
- Date Issued
- 2019
- Date
- 2019
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Doctoral
- Type
- DPhil
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30485
- Identifier
- vital:30950
- Description
- Meaning in life can be attained through a variety of sources. A limited amount of research has investigated the association between attachment and personal meaning while no studies have investigated the association between attachment, personal meaning, and sources of meaning. The current study aimed to investigate the association between different attachment styles, personal meaning, and sources of meaning in order to develop a deeper understanding of their relationships. A quantitative exploratory-descriptive design was used to collect the data using standardized questionnaires from 226 participants. Statistical analysis of the data suggests that a secure attachment style is positively associated with personal meaning and presented with meaning sources consisting of breadth and depth. A fearful attachment style was associated with a lack of personal meaning and sources of meaning while a preoccupied attachment style was associated with a lack of personal meaning and presented with sources of meaning lacking in depth and breadth. No significant association was found between a dismissive attachment style and personal meaning, but associations were found with sources of meaning, including feeling financially secure, experiencing personal growth, meeting basic everyday needs, and leaving a legacy for the next generation. Recommendations for psychotherapy based on the findings of the study were offered.
- Format
- ii, 163 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
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NMU School of Behavioural Sciences
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Ora Gerber PhD Thesis.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |