Parental attachment types and stress management in a person-oriented context among Hungarian adolescents.

Abstract

Adolescence is a period marked by increased stress, in which it is especially important how they manage stress. Previous research suggests that both relational contexts and individual characteristics influence coping strategies, highlighting the need to examine stress management in adolescence within a broader developmental framework. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between parental attachment and stress management strategies in adolescence in a person-oriented approach. The sample consisted of 1,485 Hungarian secondary school students (793 males, 687 females; five with unidentified gender), aged 16–23 years, drawn from a nationwide school-based survey. Data were analyzed using self-report measures of parental attachment (ECR-RS) and coping styles (CISS-21). Attachment profiles with four parental attachment scales were identified through k-means cluster analyses, and their associations with coping strategies and gender were examined. k-means cluster analysis based on POMS-transformed variables identified a 6-cluster solution with acceptable homogeneity and separation (EESS% > 70; HCmeanS < 1; Silhouette coefficient > 0.50). Cluster membership was significantly associated with gender (χ² = 34.86, df = 5, p < .001, Cramér’s V = 0.153). Parental attachment patterns are associated with distinct coping configurations in adolescence, with attachment security supporting more adaptive integration of coping strategies under stress. These findings highlight the importance of attachment-informed perspectives for understanding individual and gender-related differences in adolescent stress management.