The relationship of parental attachment and psychological separation to the psychological functioning of young adults

The authors explored the interrelations between attachment patterns and psy chological separation from parents as well as the contribution of these var iables to adaptive psychological functioning. Among 153 university students in Greece, there was a positive association between security of attachment and freedom from guilt, anxiety, and resentment toward one's parents (conf lictual independence); in contrast, there was an inverse relation between s ecurity of attachment and independence from parents in relation to emotiona l, functional, and attitudinal independence. Compared with the insecurely a ttached students, the securely attached students also scored higher on meas ures of self-esteem and lower on measures of anxiety and loneliness.