Comparison of Perceived Attachment Styles and Parenting Methods among Patients with Gender Dysphonia and Healthy Individuals in Isfahan, Iran

Aim and Sometimes, some people feel distressed because of their gender, usually in social,
occupational or other personal grounds, which would tend to compatibility problems with gender dysphonia disorder.
Therefore, the present study investigated the perceived attachment styles and parenting methods among the patients
with gender dissatisfaction disorder and healthy individuals in Isfahan city, Iran.
Methods and Materials: In this study, patients gender dysphoria and healthy individuals who had referred to psychiatrists in Isfahan in 2015. The participants consisted of 28 patients with gender dysphoria and 30 healthy individuals, who were selected through convenience sampling. The data collection tools consisted of the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS) (Reid and Collins) and Perceived Parenting Style Questionnaire (McClun and Merrell). The collected data were analyzed in SPSS Software.
Findings: No significant difference was observed between the mean attachment style score of patients and healthy individuals. However, a significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of perceived parenting style. Autocratic parenting style was more prevalent among patients, compared to healthy individuals. Nevertheless, authoritarian parenting style was adopted by healthy subjects more (59.5%) than patients with gender dysphonia (40.5%) (P With regard to the findings of the present study, parents of the patients with gender dysphonia disorder should be educated concerning parenting styles to shift their parenting style toward authoritarian style; which tends to lower these individuals’ psychological impairments.