• Tara Kidd and David Sheffield.
• Staffordshire University, UK.
• Br J Health Psychol. 2005 Nov 1;10(Pt 4):531-41.

ObjectiveAttachment style has been related to symptom reporting. The aim of this research was to examine whether social support and anger expression or experience mediate this relationship.Design And Methods141 women and 50 men from a Midlands university completed questionnaires examining attachment style, anger expression and experience, perceived social support, and symptom reporting.ResultsSignificant differences were found between attachment groups on somatic, anxiety, social dysfunction, and depressive symptoms. Post hoc analysis showed differences were present between secure and preoccupied attachment styles on social dysfunction and depressed symptoms, and secure and fearful attachment styles on somatic, social dysfunction, and depressed symptoms (p < . 05). ANCOVA revealed that there were no differences between attachment styles and any of the symptom scales when perceived social support, anger-in, and trait anger were entered as covariates.ConclusionResults indicate that insecure attachment styles of preoccupied and fearful were associated with increased symptom reporting. Social support and anger mediated the relationship between attachment style and symptom reporting.

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