Abstract

403 adolescents (239 boys and 164 girls) were administered self-report measures of attachment, feelings of depression, problem behaviours, and suicidal ideation. The data showed significant gender and age differences: girls scored higher than boys on feelings of depression and suicidal ideation; middle-adolescents scored higher than youngest adolescents on externalizing and internalizing problems and than oldest adolescents on suicidal ideation. Anxious attachment style contributed to the onset of internalizing problem behaviours, feelings of depression and suicidal ideation. Moreover, internalizing problems and feelings of depression had a mediation effect in the relation between anxious attachment style and suicidal ideation.