Perceived Childhood Attachment, Family Functioning and Religious Coping

this study aimed to examine family functioning patterns as mediators between perceived childhood attachment to each parent (secure and insecure) and religious coping.
Seven hundred and seventy students of Tehran universities were selected using multi-stage sampling. The participants completed the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (Olson, Gorall, & Tiesel, 2004), the Religious Coping Scale (Pargament, Koeing, & Perez, 2000), and the Childhood Attachment to each Parent Scale (Hazan & Shaver, 1986). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results indicated that 1) Chaotically disengaged family fully mediated the relationship between insecure attachment to each parent and positive religious coping, 2) Adaptability cohesion family mediated the relationship between secure attachment to each parent and negative religious coping, 3) Insecure attachment to father had direct and indirect (through family adaptability and cohesion) effects on negative religious coping, and 4) Secure attachment to father had a direct effect on positive religious coping but attachment to mother didnt not have a direct effect on religious coping. These findings suggests that not only attachment history is important in understanding religious coping strategies but also family functioning plays an important role in this relationship.