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Saman Abdollahzadeh Davani , Changiz Rahimi , Mehdi Imani

Abstract

Family is one of the main foundations for maintaining people's health over a lifetime. Attachments and family communication patterns are mental structures that are formed in the family environment in conjunction with parents and primary caregivers. The purpose of this study was the comparison of family communication patterns and attachment styles among three groups of depressed and obsessive-compulsive disorder patients and normal subjects. The research method was casual-comparative. For this study, 60 subjects (20 patients with depression, 20 patients with OCD, and 20 normal subjects) were chosen through the purposive sampling method. After the diagnosis of their psychiatric disorder, the participants completed self-assessment questionnaires of Fitzpatrick and Ritchie family communication patterns and Collins and Read attachment styles. Findings have shown that family members of patients use conformity orientation and family members of healthy people often use communication orientation. Depressed patients have an insecure-avoidant attachment style, OCD patients have an insecure-ambivalent attachment style, and healthy people have a secure attachment style. It seems that family communication patterns and attachment styles can affect mental health and the types of disorders people suffer from.

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