Volume 26, Issue 2 (8-2026)
Social Welfare Quarterly 2026, 26(2): 253-278 |
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bohlulzade F, Narimani M, Basharpoor S. (2026). The Role of Attachment Styles and Resilience in Predicting Social Adjustment among Orphaned and Neglected Adolescents. Social Welfare Quarterly. 26(2), 253-278. doi:10.32598/refahj.26.2.4766.1
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URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-4539-en.html
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Extended Abstract
Introduction
Orphaned and neglected adolescents (aged 10–18) are vulnerable due to parental death, chronic illness, economic hardship, or other social challenges, and often reside in care centers (Ding et al., 2023; Ebrahimi et al., 2022). The absence of a complete family environment can result in significant psychological, emotional, and social consequences, affecting personality development and social skills (Tripathy & Sahu, 2019). These adolescents often struggle with communication, emotional regulation, and forming positive relationships, and their social adjustment is significantly lower than peers in intact families (Telitsyna). Social adjustment—the ability to regulate cognition and behavior to meet social demands—plays a crucial role in life satisfaction and preventing antisocial behaviors (Agbaria, 2020; Lee & Fletcher., 2023; Nurdin & Saufa, 2020).
Attachment styles and resilience are key predictors: secure attachment fosters emotional regulation and self-esteem, whereas avoidant and ambivalent styles are linked to behavioral problems (Shirazi et al., 2022); resilience, as the capacity to cope with adversity and recover functioning, also serves as a protective factor (Vatandoust et al., 2024). Understanding these relationships in orphaned and neglected adolescents can inform effective interventions. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between attachment styles, resilience, and social adjustment in this population.
Method
This descriptive–survey study employed a correlational design. The population included all adolescents residing in Ardabil Welfare Organization care centers (N = 196). A minimum of 50 participants is adequate for correlational studies; however, 90 adolescents were selected via convenience sampling to enhance analytical accuracy. Ethical standards were observed, including informed consent, confidentiality, and voluntary participation, and participants could withdraw without consequences.
Three instruments were administered: Bell’s Social Adjustment Questionnaire (1961; 32 items, α = 0.85), the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (2003; 25 items, α = 0.92), and Hazan and Shaver’s Attachment Questionnaire (1987; 21 items measuring secure, avoidant, and ambivalent styles; α = 0.91, 0.88, 0.80, respectively). Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 via descriptive (mean, SD, frequency) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation and multiple regression).
Findings
In this study, 90 orphaned and neglected adolescents participated with a mean age of 16.08 years and a standard deviation of 1.29. Based on the correlation matrix, social adjustment was positively and significantly correlated with secure attachment (r=0.56, p < 0.01) and resilience (r=0.68, p< 0.01), and negatively and significantly correlated with avoidant (r=-0.48, p< 0.01) and ambivalent attachment styles (r=-0.71, p< 0.01). Multiple regression analysis indicated a total correlation of 0.76 between attachment styles and resilience with social adjustment, and the coefficient of determination (R² =0.58) showed that these variables explained 58% of the variance in social adjustment, confirming a significant predictive relationship. Beta coefficients further revealed that secure attachment (β=0.26, t =2.21, p< 0.05), ambivalent attachment (β=-0.50, t =-4.73, p< 0.01), and resilience (β=0.30, t =2.36, p< 0.05) significantly predicted social adjustment, with ambivalent attachment contributing the most to its prediction.
Discussion
The present study aimed to examine the relationship between attachment styles and resilience with social adjustment in orphaned and neglected adolescents. Findings indicated that secure attachment was positively associated with social adjustment, while avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles were negatively and significantly related, consistent with previous studies (Farsijani et al., 2022; Khan & Kamal, 2023; Pourkord et al., 2021; Sochos & Aleem, 2022).
Adolescents deprived of parental care and early favorable experiences often exhibit emotional instability, low trust in others, and difficulty establishing close relationships, which contributes to the development of insecure attachment styles and lower social adjustment. Conversely, securely attached individuals are better able to regulate negative emotions, maintain satisfying social relationships, and cope effectively with stress and parental loss (Schenck et al., 2016). Additionally, resilience was positively and significantly correlated with social adjustment and served as a predictor of positive social behaviors and adaptive functioning, aligning with studies by (Gao et al., 2019; Vatandoust et al., 2024; Worku et al., 2018). Resilience enables adolescents to use negative experiences such as parental loss as opportunities for growth, enhancing coping and problem-solving skills, emotional regulation, and focusing on strengths, thereby improving social adjustment. The integration of resilience and adaptive skills provides an effective mechanism for managing life stressors and promoting social functioning. Limitations of this study include the self-report method and the focus on a single care center, which may restrict generalizability. Future research is recommended to incorporate interviews, more diverse samples, and interventions such as training programs to enhance resilience and attachment security in orphaned and neglected adolescents, ultimately improving their social adjustment.
Ethical considerations
Authors’ contributions
All authors contributed to designing, running, and writing all parts of the research.
Funding
No direct financial support was received from any institution or organization for the preparation of this article.
Conflicts of interest
This article does not overlap with other published works of the authors.
Acknowledgments
We thank the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments, which greatly contributed to improving our work.
Introduction
Orphaned and neglected adolescents (aged 10–18) are vulnerable due to parental death, chronic illness, economic hardship, or other social challenges, and often reside in care centers (Ding et al., 2023; Ebrahimi et al., 2022). The absence of a complete family environment can result in significant psychological, emotional, and social consequences, affecting personality development and social skills (Tripathy & Sahu, 2019). These adolescents often struggle with communication, emotional regulation, and forming positive relationships, and their social adjustment is significantly lower than peers in intact families (Telitsyna). Social adjustment—the ability to regulate cognition and behavior to meet social demands—plays a crucial role in life satisfaction and preventing antisocial behaviors (Agbaria, 2020; Lee & Fletcher., 2023; Nurdin & Saufa, 2020).
Attachment styles and resilience are key predictors: secure attachment fosters emotional regulation and self-esteem, whereas avoidant and ambivalent styles are linked to behavioral problems (Shirazi et al., 2022); resilience, as the capacity to cope with adversity and recover functioning, also serves as a protective factor (Vatandoust et al., 2024). Understanding these relationships in orphaned and neglected adolescents can inform effective interventions. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between attachment styles, resilience, and social adjustment in this population.
Method
This descriptive–survey study employed a correlational design. The population included all adolescents residing in Ardabil Welfare Organization care centers (N = 196). A minimum of 50 participants is adequate for correlational studies; however, 90 adolescents were selected via convenience sampling to enhance analytical accuracy. Ethical standards were observed, including informed consent, confidentiality, and voluntary participation, and participants could withdraw without consequences.
Three instruments were administered: Bell’s Social Adjustment Questionnaire (1961; 32 items, α = 0.85), the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (2003; 25 items, α = 0.92), and Hazan and Shaver’s Attachment Questionnaire (1987; 21 items measuring secure, avoidant, and ambivalent styles; α = 0.91, 0.88, 0.80, respectively). Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 via descriptive (mean, SD, frequency) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation and multiple regression).
Findings
In this study, 90 orphaned and neglected adolescents participated with a mean age of 16.08 years and a standard deviation of 1.29. Based on the correlation matrix, social adjustment was positively and significantly correlated with secure attachment (r=0.56, p < 0.01) and resilience (r=0.68, p< 0.01), and negatively and significantly correlated with avoidant (r=-0.48, p< 0.01) and ambivalent attachment styles (r=-0.71, p< 0.01). Multiple regression analysis indicated a total correlation of 0.76 between attachment styles and resilience with social adjustment, and the coefficient of determination (R² =0.58) showed that these variables explained 58% of the variance in social adjustment, confirming a significant predictive relationship. Beta coefficients further revealed that secure attachment (β=0.26, t =2.21, p< 0.05), ambivalent attachment (β=-0.50, t =-4.73, p< 0.01), and resilience (β=0.30, t =2.36, p< 0.05) significantly predicted social adjustment, with ambivalent attachment contributing the most to its prediction.
Discussion
The present study aimed to examine the relationship between attachment styles and resilience with social adjustment in orphaned and neglected adolescents. Findings indicated that secure attachment was positively associated with social adjustment, while avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles were negatively and significantly related, consistent with previous studies (Farsijani et al., 2022; Khan & Kamal, 2023; Pourkord et al., 2021; Sochos & Aleem, 2022).
Adolescents deprived of parental care and early favorable experiences often exhibit emotional instability, low trust in others, and difficulty establishing close relationships, which contributes to the development of insecure attachment styles and lower social adjustment. Conversely, securely attached individuals are better able to regulate negative emotions, maintain satisfying social relationships, and cope effectively with stress and parental loss (Schenck et al., 2016). Additionally, resilience was positively and significantly correlated with social adjustment and served as a predictor of positive social behaviors and adaptive functioning, aligning with studies by (Gao et al., 2019; Vatandoust et al., 2024; Worku et al., 2018). Resilience enables adolescents to use negative experiences such as parental loss as opportunities for growth, enhancing coping and problem-solving skills, emotional regulation, and focusing on strengths, thereby improving social adjustment. The integration of resilience and adaptive skills provides an effective mechanism for managing life stressors and promoting social functioning. Limitations of this study include the self-report method and the focus on a single care center, which may restrict generalizability. Future research is recommended to incorporate interviews, more diverse samples, and interventions such as training programs to enhance resilience and attachment security in orphaned and neglected adolescents, ultimately improving their social adjustment.
Ethical considerations
Authors’ contributions
All authors contributed to designing, running, and writing all parts of the research.
Funding
No direct financial support was received from any institution or organization for the preparation of this article.
Conflicts of interest
This article does not overlap with other published works of the authors.
Acknowledgments
We thank the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments, which greatly contributed to improving our work.
Agbaria, Q. (2020). Predictors of personal and social adjustment among Israeli-Palestinian teenagers. Child Indicators Research, 13(3), 917-933. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-019-09661-3
Ding, X., Zhang, W., Ooi, L. L., Coplan, R. J., Zhu, X., & Sang, B. (2023). Relations between social withdrawal subtypes and socio‐emotional adjustment among Chinese children and early adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 33(3), 774-785. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12837
Ebrahimi, M., Kamiabi, M., Hajipoor Abaie, N., & Soltani, A. (2022). Investigating the factor structure and validating the short form of the California social adaptation scale in abused teenagers in Kerman city in the corona crisis: A descriptive study. Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, 21(9), 923-938. http://journal.rums.ac.ir/article-1-6660-en.html (In Persian)
Farsijani, N., Besharat, M. A., & Moghadamzadeh, A. (2022). Predicting social adjustment based on attachment styles and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in adolescents. Journal of Psychological Science, 21(109), 71-88. http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-1325-en.html Persian)
Gao, F., Yao, Y., Yao, C., Xiong, Y., Ma, H., & Liu, H. (2019). The mediating role of resilience and self-esteem between negative life events and positive social adjustment among left-behind adolescents in China: a cross-sectional study. BMC psychiatry, 19(1), 239. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2219-z
Khan, A., & Kamal, A. (2023). Emotional Intelligence as a Mediator between Psychological Maladjustment and Attachment Styles among Orphan Adolescents. Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 33(1). 69-98. https://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/doap/PDF-FILES/4_V33-1-2023.pdf
Lee, G. Y., & Fletcher, A. C. (2023). Emotional detachment moderates associations between students’ perceptions of parental support and first-year college adjustment: Generational status differences. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 24(4), 1002-1027. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025120960036
Nurdin, L., & Saufa, A. F. (2020). Home libraries and their roles in social changes among rural communities in Indonesia. DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, 40(06), 353-359. https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.40.06.15684
Pourkord, M., Mirdrikvand, F., & Karami, A. (2020). Predicting resilience in students based on happiness, attachment style, and religious attitude. Health, Spirituality and Medical Ethics, 7(2), 27-34.
Schenck, L. K., Eberle, K. M., & Rings, J. A. (2016). Insecure attachment styles and complicated grief severity: Applying what we know to inform future directions. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 73(3), 231-249. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222815576124
Shirazi, E., Ghasemi Motlagh, M., Esmaeeli Shad, B., & Bakhshipoor, A. (2022). Modeling borderline personality traits based on attachment: the mediating role of self-differentiation and emotional dysregulation. Journal of Applied Family Therapy, 3(4), 185-207. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.aftj.3.4.11 (In Persian)
Sochos, A., & Aleem, S. (2022). Parental attachment style and young persons’ adjustment to bereavement. Child & Youth Care Forum, 51(1), 161-179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-021-09621-5
Tripathy, M., & Sahu, B. (2019). Impact of family environment on socio-emotional adjustment of adolescent girls in rural areas of western Odisha. Asian Journal of Basic Science & Research (AJBSR), 1(1), 27-35. https://ajbsr.net/data/uploads/105.pdf
Valizadeh, H., Ahmadi, V., & Mirshekar, S. (2023). The effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on resilience, emotional ataxia and feelings of loneliness in female heads of households. Journal of Modern Psychological Researches, 18(69), 257-265. https://doi.org/10.22034/jmpr.2023.16248 (In Persian)
Vatandoust, M., Bagherian, F., Shokri, O., & Vatandoust, M. (2024). The Mediating Role of Resilience and Health Behaviors on the Relationship of Emotional Intelligence and Social Adjustment. Journal of Applied Psychological Research, 14(4), 239-262. https://doi.org/10.22059/japr.2024.338448.644185
Worku, B. N., Abessa, T. G., Franssen, E., Vanvuchelen, M., Kolsteren, P., & Granitzer, M. (2018). Development, social-emotional behavior and resilience of orphaned children in a family-oriented setting. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(2), 465-474. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0908-0
Ding, X., Zhang, W., Ooi, L. L., Coplan, R. J., Zhu, X., & Sang, B. (2023). Relations between social withdrawal subtypes and socio‐emotional adjustment among Chinese children and early adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 33(3), 774-785. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12837
Ebrahimi, M., Kamiabi, M., Hajipoor Abaie, N., & Soltani, A. (2022). Investigating the factor structure and validating the short form of the California social adaptation scale in abused teenagers in Kerman city in the corona crisis: A descriptive study. Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, 21(9), 923-938. http://journal.rums.ac.ir/article-1-6660-en.html (In Persian)
Farsijani, N., Besharat, M. A., & Moghadamzadeh, A. (2022). Predicting social adjustment based on attachment styles and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in adolescents. Journal of Psychological Science, 21(109), 71-88. http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-1325-en.html Persian)
Gao, F., Yao, Y., Yao, C., Xiong, Y., Ma, H., & Liu, H. (2019). The mediating role of resilience and self-esteem between negative life events and positive social adjustment among left-behind adolescents in China: a cross-sectional study. BMC psychiatry, 19(1), 239. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2219-z
Khan, A., & Kamal, A. (2023). Emotional Intelligence as a Mediator between Psychological Maladjustment and Attachment Styles among Orphan Adolescents. Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 33(1). 69-98. https://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/doap/PDF-FILES/4_V33-1-2023.pdf
Lee, G. Y., & Fletcher, A. C. (2023). Emotional detachment moderates associations between students’ perceptions of parental support and first-year college adjustment: Generational status differences. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 24(4), 1002-1027. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025120960036
Nurdin, L., & Saufa, A. F. (2020). Home libraries and their roles in social changes among rural communities in Indonesia. DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, 40(06), 353-359. https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.40.06.15684
Pourkord, M., Mirdrikvand, F., & Karami, A. (2020). Predicting resilience in students based on happiness, attachment style, and religious attitude. Health, Spirituality and Medical Ethics, 7(2), 27-34.
Schenck, L. K., Eberle, K. M., & Rings, J. A. (2016). Insecure attachment styles and complicated grief severity: Applying what we know to inform future directions. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 73(3), 231-249. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222815576124
Shirazi, E., Ghasemi Motlagh, M., Esmaeeli Shad, B., & Bakhshipoor, A. (2022). Modeling borderline personality traits based on attachment: the mediating role of self-differentiation and emotional dysregulation. Journal of Applied Family Therapy, 3(4), 185-207. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.aftj.3.4.11 (In Persian)
Sochos, A., & Aleem, S. (2022). Parental attachment style and young persons’ adjustment to bereavement. Child & Youth Care Forum, 51(1), 161-179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-021-09621-5
Tripathy, M., & Sahu, B. (2019). Impact of family environment on socio-emotional adjustment of adolescent girls in rural areas of western Odisha. Asian Journal of Basic Science & Research (AJBSR), 1(1), 27-35. https://ajbsr.net/data/uploads/105.pdf
Valizadeh, H., Ahmadi, V., & Mirshekar, S. (2023). The effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on resilience, emotional ataxia and feelings of loneliness in female heads of households. Journal of Modern Psychological Researches, 18(69), 257-265. https://doi.org/10.22034/jmpr.2023.16248 (In Persian)
Vatandoust, M., Bagherian, F., Shokri, O., & Vatandoust, M. (2024). The Mediating Role of Resilience and Health Behaviors on the Relationship of Emotional Intelligence and Social Adjustment. Journal of Applied Psychological Research, 14(4), 239-262. https://doi.org/10.22059/japr.2024.338448.644185
Worku, B. N., Abessa, T. G., Franssen, E., Vanvuchelen, M., Kolsteren, P., & Granitzer, M. (2018). Development, social-emotional behavior and resilience of orphaned children in a family-oriented setting. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(2), 465-474. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0908-0
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Received: 2025/10/31 | Accepted: 2026/07/29 | Published: 2026/08/31
Received: 2025/10/31 | Accepted: 2026/07/29 | Published: 2026/08/31
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