Izvorni znanstveni članak
Attachment Style in Parents of Children with Chronic Gastrointestinal Disease
Rajna Knez
Tanja Frančišković
Radenka Munjas Samarin
Milan Nikšić
Sažetak
Attachment is a point of interest in psychosomatic research since it influences a wide array of biopsychosocial phenomena.
Data from literature highlights the role of this concept in the context of Inflammatory Bowel disease (IBD), still,
there is a lack of data regarding attachment among parents of children with chronic gastrointestinal diseases. The main
hypothesis for the current study is that parents of children with IBD will have a more insecure attachment than parents
of children with celiac disease (CD) and parents of healthy children. The second hypothesis is that insecure attachment
among parents of sick children will be associated with lower parental quality of life (QoL). 46 parents of children with
IBD, 42 parents of children with CD and 43 parents of healthy children completed the validated modification of the
Brennan’s Experiences in Close Relationship Inventory. Results were categorized as secure and insecure attachment. In
order to assess parental QoL, the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used. The Total QoL was calculated as a sum of
all domain items. Secure attachment was found in 45.7% parents of children with IBD, in 35.7% parents of children with
CD and in 32.6% parents of healthy children. Surprisingly, the lowest rate of secure attachment was found in parents of
healthy children. However, significant differences among groups do not exist. For all groups of parents the attachment
style is associated with Total QoL, although only among parents of children with IBD, the secure attachment independently
and significantly predicts higher parental Total QoL. According to results, we might say that parental attachment
style does not have a role that exclusively belongs in the context of paediatric chronic gastrointestinal diseases. However,
parents of children with IBD who have insecure attachment represent target group for psychosocial support in order to
improve their QoL.
Ključne riječi
object attachment; psychosomatic medicine; child; parents; inflammatory bowel disease; celiac disease
Hrčak ID:
72250
URI
Datum izdavanja:
25.9.2011.
Posjeta: 935 *