Relational Health, Attachment, and Psychological Distress in College Women and Men

Abstract

This study examines relational health, parental attachment, and psychological distress in college men and women from the perspective of the relational-cultural model ( Jordan, Kaplan, Miller, Stiver, & Surrey, 1991 ; Miller, 1984). Peer, mentor, and community relationships, as well as secure parental attachment and year in school, were hypothesized to predict psychological distress, although predictive patterns were expected to differ in women and men. Overall, results supported the hypotheses. Secure parental attachment predicted decreased distress for both women and men. Authentic, empowered, and engaged community relationships significantly predicted decreased distress for women and men. However, for women, peer relational quality was also a significant predictor. The relational-cultural model, which suggests that differentiation and the “felt sense of self” ( Jordan, 1997 , p. 15) evolve through meaningful connections with others rather than as a result of the separation-individuation process, is applied as a framework for interpreting the findings.

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