McNamara, Tahlia I. (2019) The Mediating Effect of Interpersonal Problems Between Attachment Insecurity and Somatisation. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Somatisation results in the overuse of health care services, as well as debilitating distress for those suffering with it. Despite decades of research, somatisation is still a widely misunderstood phenomenon. The present study sought to examine the relationship between attachment insecurity, interpersonal problems, and somatisation, which has been supported in previous literature. Furthermore, examination of the mediating effect of interpersonal problems between attachment insecurity and somatisation was conducted. Correlation and mediation analyses were used to test these hypotheses. The study’s sample included 199 Australian residents aged 17 years or older, compromising of USQ psychology and counselling students and individuals from the researcher’s personal network. Attachment insecurity, interpersonal problems, and somatisation were measured using survey data based on reliable and valid measures. Participants completed an online survey comprising of demographic questions, the 36-item Experiences in Close Relationships Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire, the 32-item Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-32), and the 53-item Screening for Somatoform Symptoms-7 (SOMS-7). Results corroborated with previous literature, revealing positive correlations between attachment insecurity, interpersonal problems, and somatisation. Additionally, results revealed full mediation of interpersonal problems between attachment insecurity and somatisation. It was theorised this relationship occurs as insecurely attached individuals are likely to have difficulty in interpersonal functioning, which subsequently results in the experience of interpersonal problems during adulthood. Consequently, these individuals may lack the ability to healthily and maturely communicate their distress to others, and therefore somatisation symptoms manifest as a maladaptive way to communicate this distress.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
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| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Zahra Izadikhah |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Sep 2025 01:45 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Sep 2025 01:45 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | somatisation; attachment insecurity; interpersonal problems |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52571 |
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