Using the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment-Malay (IPPA-MALAY) for assessment of attachment relationships and depression of Malaysian adolescents

This study examined the utility of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment Malay (IPPAMalay) for the prediction of adolescent depression. Adolescents (N = 2040) (mean age =14.4 years), randomly selected from urban and rural schools across Malaysia completed self-report measures of attachment, self-esteem and depression. Based on exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the three dimensions of Trust, Communication and Alienation of the measurement model of the IPPA-Malay was not supported.An alternative measurement model which focused more on common attachment factors (secure, contentment and anxious) was obtained.Structural analysis revealed that adolescents with anxious attachment are more at risk of experiencing depression compared to adolescents with secure and contentment attachment relationships.Furthermore, findings highlight the role of self-esteem as a mediator between secure and contentment attachment and depression.In addition, this study tested the stability of the structural model across age and gender and found that some paths in the model varied in which the influence of attachment relationships on self-esteem and depression appear stronger for females and younger adolescents. Implications for research elucidating the links between attachment and psychological health of adolescents are discussed