Abstract

While both parent and peer attachment security have been found to be related to adolescent's well-being, the relative importance of each on the adolescent's adjustment is in question. Further, insecure attachment appears to be a more important factor in depression for adolescent girls than boys (Kobak, Sudler, & Gamble, 1991). The present study investigates the role of parental and peer attachments in depression among adolescent boys and girls, and whether secure attachment to peers protects adolescents insecurely attached to parents, particularly girls, against depression. Adolescents (n = 176) completed self-reports measuring their depressed feelings and their attachment to mother, father, and best friend, and a computer task consisting of hypothetical situations in which they were asked how they would feel. The results suggested that attachment security to a close peer only protected girls insecurely attached to their father against depression. Attachment security to both parents appeared to protect adolescents against depression. These findings substantiate the importance of attachment security to parents in adolescence and the need to examine gender differences and the separate effects of both mother and father when studying the importance of security to parents and to peers on the adolescent's mental health.