The Mediating Role of Resilience in Explaining the Causal Relationship between Attachment Styles and Posttraumatic Growth in Women and Men Affected by Infidelity

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Women and men affected by infidelity face many traumas and efforts to their posttraumatic growth are of great importance. As a result, the aim of this research was determine the mediating role of resilience in explaining the causal relationship between attachment styles and posttraumatic growth in women and men affected by infidelity.

Methodology: This study was a cross-sectional from type of correlation. The research population was all women and men affected by infidelity who referred to counseling and psychological services centers of Tehran city in 2024 year. The sample of this study was 215 people who were selected by available sampling method. The instruments of this study included the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, 1990), Resilience Scale (Connor & Davidson, 2003), and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). The data of this study were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficients and structural equation modeling in SPSS-24 and AMOS-24 software.

Findings: The results of the present study showed that the model of causal relationship attachment styles and posttraumatic growth with the mediating of resilience in women and men affected by infidelity had a good fit. In addition the direct effect of dependent and anxious attachment styles on resilience and posttraumatic growth was negative and significant, the direct effect of close attachment style on resilience and posttraumatic growth was positive and significant, and the direct effect of resilience on posttraumatic growth was positive and significant (P<0.010). Also, the indirect effect of dependent and anxious attachment styles mediated by resilience on posttraumatic growth was negative and significant, and the indirect effect of close attachment style mediated by resilience on posttraumatic growth was positive and significant (P<0.001).

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, attachment styles and resilience play an effective role in posttraumatic growth, and to improve posttraumatic growth, through educational workshops can be reduced the amount of dependent and anxious attachment styles and increased the amount of closeness attachment style and resilience.