Journal of health research in community

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Introduction and purpose: Adolescence is associated with physical, psychological, cognitive, emotional, and social changes in a person’s life. During this time, the concepts of identity and body image are raised, both of which can lead to anxiety and ultimately social avoidance. In this regard, the present study was conducted to investigate the mediating role of identity styles in body image and social avoidance of adolescents referred to health centers in Zahedan, Iran, in 2018-2019.
Methods: The present descriptive-correlational (correlational-predictive) study was performed on 128 adolescents referred to healthcare centers. The sampling was conducted using the convenience sampling method, and data collection tools were the questionnaires of body image concerns, social avoidance and distress, as well as identity styles. Data analysis performed by SPSS software (version 16) using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, as well as stepwise and standard regressions.
Results: Results of the present study indicated that identity styles, including diffuse-avoidant, normative, and commitment, were able to predict and determine variations related to body image concerns (P<0.01). Moreover, the normative identity style could predict and determine variations associated with social avoidance and distress (P<0.01). Furthermore, the results indicated that body image concerns could predict and determine the variations related to social avoidance and distress (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Identity styles and body image during adolescence can weaken communication skills, have adverse effects on the levels of adolescents’ social interactions with others, and deprive them of having the opportunity to acquire mental, physical, and social skills. Therefore, the risks associated with the aforementioned issues should be taken into consideration, and culture should be extensively developed in national and transnational levels in this regard.
 

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Introduction and Objectives: Adolescence is a crucial period for many mental disorders, particularly emotional disorders. This study aimed to explore the structural relationships between attachment styles and adolescents' emotional disorders considering the mediating role of defense mechanisms and identity styles.
Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted based on a correlational design and was carried out using structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all high school students in Sari (Mazandaran Province, Iran) studying in the 2019-20 academic year. The study sample included 163 students chosen through a multistage cluster sampling method. The data were collected using the Defense Style Questionnaire (Andrews et al.1993), the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status-2 (Bennion and Adams, 1986), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (Beck et al., 1990), the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck et al., 1961), and Adult Attachment Inventory (Besharat, 2009). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS/AMOS software (version 25) applying the Structural equation modeling method.
Results: The findings showed that attachment styles (β=-0.23) and defense mechanisms (β=0.75) directly affected emotional disorders. Furthermore, attachment styles indirectly affected emotional disorders via mediating role of defense mechanisms (β=-0.39). Examination of the indicators of model quality also showed that most of the model fit indicators were in the desired range (RMSEA=0.7; GFI=0.95).
Conclusions: In general, mature defense mechanisms, as a protective factor, can mediate the relationship between insecure attachment styles and emotional disorders in adolescents, whereas identity styles cannot.
In general, the relationship and effect of attachment styles and defense mechanisms on emotional disorders indicate that developed defense mechanisms can be considered an anti-shock between traumatic attachment styles and emotional disorders in adolescents