Comparison of Attachment Styles in Elderly Living at Home and Hospice: A Case Study: Semnan, 2013

Introduction and Aging of the population and elderly is accompanied with several related problems. One of the prevalent problems among elderly is the insecure lifestyle which is also a key factor in mental disorders such as depression (a common mental disorder). Therefore، the aim of this study was to identify the difference in attachment styles of elderly who are living at home in comparison with nursing home residents. This Causal-Comparative study was conducted among seniors in the province of Semnan. We included 40 elderly (with two equal groups from nursing resident and elderly who were living at home) using the convenience sampling method. Samples were matched in terms of their age and sex. Data were collected using the Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI) and were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The mean age of participants in this study was 68±16 years old. Our findings revealed that there are significant differences between secure attachment with avoidant and anxiety attachment in nursing home residents in comparison with the elderly who are living at home. Elderly people with anxiety and avoidant attachment experience the negative attitudes more than elderly with secure attachment. Nevertheless، there is no significant difference between anxiety and avoidant attachment in terms of their negative attitudes. In general، people with insecure attachment are more vulnerable to experience depression and mental disorders.