Relationships between Parental Attachment, Peer Attachment and Stress among School-going Adolescents in Akwa Ibom State Nigeria

Parent-adolescent relationship has been viewed as a crucial factor in the outcome of stress among adolescents. In addition to the stressors in home environment, school-going adolescents spend most of their waking hours within the school environment which also potentially contribute to stress. Empirical investigation has been very scanty with regards to the relationships among stress, parental and peer attachments among school-going adolescents in Nigeria. This study was a cross-sectional survey which drew participants, using a stratified random sampling technique, from three senatorial zones of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria. Data were collected using a standardized, reliable and valid measures of the study variables among the 372 school-going adolescents. Results showed that parental attachment (r = -.107, p<.05) and peer attachment (r = -.190; p<.01) were significantly associated with stress. Results also indicated that parental attachment and peer attachment, significantly predicted stress. Peer attachment was found to be the strongest predictor of stress (β= -.24, p< .01). Practically, the study offered parents/guardians, home managers and educational institutions useful suggestions on reducing and mitigating the effects of stress. Stress reduction through healthy parental and peer attachment can be enhanced by organizing school-based psycho-educational with focus on parental and peer attachment. Keyword: Parental Attachment, Peer Attachment, Stress, Adolescents. Introduction Adolescence is a period when individuals strive to become independent from their parents. The period of adolescence has been tagged “a period of stress and storm” (Hurlock, 1981), as the adolescent undergoes a myriad of physical and psychological vicissitudes during this period (Abolarin, 2010). The adolescence period is a transitional period of physical and psychological development, which is associated with the teenage years and characterized by conflicts and stress (Obiunu, 2015). While going through this evolution period, adolescents are mostly engulfed by psychosocial problems such as difficulties associated with peer attachment, stress, and parental attachment. Due to adolescents’ level of curiosity in their quest for independence and social importance, some of them end up contradicting the whims International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences Vol. 1 2 , No. 1, 2022, E-ISSN: 2222-6990 © 2022 HRMARS 2129 of their parents, peers and social groups by either involving in substance abuse, conduct disorders or educational difficulties (Burke & Arslan, 2020; Sigfusdottir et al., 2017). Since school-going adolescents spend most of their waking hours within the school environment or engaged in school-related activities, the potentials for stress are perhaps considerably higher because, in addition to the stressors in home environment, they have to grapple with school environment stressors such as academic difficulties, tests and examinations, possible bullying, and lack of adequate support from teachers and other students. Studies have shown high prevalence of psychosocial problems in adolescents (Jorm et al., 2010; Gilbert 2006). It is also reported that about 10% to 25% of adolescents experience psychosocial problems or mental distress during adolescence (Ahmad et al., 2007; Gilbert, 2006). Stress is real and constitutes part of adolescents’ developmental uncertainties. Looking at the various progressions of human revolution and adaptation to development, it is likely for an adolescents will be stressful and be exposed to dangerous situations within this period of transformation (Tricoli and Lipp, 2011; Justo and Lipp, 2010). Stress is a contextual phenomenon that involves a transaction between the characteristics of the person and the environment (Folkman, 2013). Stress can change with time, maybe as a result of how a person can handle the situations that brought about a stressful situation. Kristensen, Schaefer and Busnello (2010) argue that stress develops when the burdens of certain circumstances are perceived as being above the means available to overcome them, resulting in the individual incapable to fight and generate approaches to tackle them. This emphasizes the pivotal role of adolescents’ abilities and/or strategies with environment which they require in order to ensure a positive transitional development devoid of behavioral or well-being impairment. According to Bowlby's Attachment Theory (AT), attachment is a psychological connection which exist within humans and that can persist for a long period of time (Bowlby, 1982). Going by Bowlby’s assertion, attachments with parents and peers can significantly ameliorate the level of stress. Several studies (e.g.: Howard and Medway, 2004; Compas, Malcarne, and Fondacaro, 1988) showed attachments and relationships that may be important in giving adolescent a good knowledge on how adolescents can cope with stress in their lives Adolescents as a matter of fact believe that having link or being attached to parents and peers will make them more resourceful in stressful situations. As such, parent-adolescent relationship has been viewed as a critical and crucial factor in the experience and outcome of stress among adolescents (Garbe et al., 2020; Rabbani et al., 2014; Operario et al., 2006). Studies have consistently shown that adolescents who have safe attachments with their parents are more adjustable and experience low stress compared to those without such attachments (Hampel & Petermann, 2006; Howard & Medway, 2004). In addition, Lazarus and Folkman (1984) emphasized on perception of the ability to cope with threat, implying that presence of resources such as parental and peer support through healthy attachment will yield a positive outcome. This makes parents and peers some of the most influential and powerful agents in the life of adolescents. Parental Attachment and Stress Studies have shown that significant relationship exists between parental attachment and stress (see: Rabbani, 2015; Li, 2008; Petroff, 2008; McCarthy, Moller & Fouladi, 2001). As such, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences Vol. 1 2 , No. 1, 2022, E-ISSN: 2222-6990 © 2022 HRMARS 2130 adolescents with strong or secure parental attachment tend to be more resilient to stress. According to Armsden and Greenberg (1987), adolescents with safe parental connection are more positioned to improve and keep positive relationships, and are able to take care of dangerous or stressful circumstances. It is believed that adolescent whose secure attachments are higher will experience minimized stress. In line with this notion, studies evaluating the relationship between parental attachment and stress found that adolescents that have a good and safe connections to parents account lower observed stress (Howard & Medway, 2004; Kenny & Rice, 1995). This further implies that adolescents’ ability to cope with or manage stress is affected by parental attachment. Thus, the younger adults are securely attached to their parents, the greater their chances of overcoming stressful situations. This is evidenced in adolescents’ low level of handling unfamiliar situations which according to Armsden and Greenberg (1987) could be enhanced by secure parental attachment. Interestingly, adolescents with high levels of stress-free lives are fond of their parents. This is undoubtedly the rationale behind a report from McCarthy et al (2001) study revealed that students that account high levels of attachment to parents are least expected to account high levels of stress. Attachment relationship is the basis of the attachment system, which is revolved when people encounter stress (Bernier, Larose, Boivin, and Soucy, 2004). During stressful situation, adolescents with safe attachments perceived their selves as closer and more susceptible to others; they understand stress as mind and thoughts infuriating, instead of threatening. Prior to such situations’, securely attached adolescents are better prepared by their parents for such encounter and other unfamiliar contexts, which aggravate stress (Rabbani, Kasmaienezhadfard and Pourrajab, 2014). As a result of this, adolescents with strong parental attachment are equipped with cognitive skills of stress evaluation and management. Hence, the stronger the connection adolescents have with their parent, the less stress and more adjustment tendencies (Mattanah et al., 2011). Peer Attachments and Stress Attachment dynamics have been explored in different contexts and across a spectrum of age ranges (Howard and Medway, 2004). Safe connections are linked to self-assurance, healthy modification, and positive life transitions (Paterson, Field & Pryor, 1995). Insecure attachment is associated with anxiety, stress, personality disorders, marital distress, and suicidal thoughts (DiFilippo and Overholser, 2000; Papini and Roggman, 1992). Infants move to adolescent stage of life, peer value as a source of alliance and intimacy increases (Rabbani, 2015). Despite parents serving as original learning source to adolescents on proper way of behavior and meeting individual need, adolescents highly explore peers’ relationships to solidify what they learned from their parents (Riggs, 2013). By so doing, stressful situations are subdued by adolescents due to peer encouragements and support. While adolescents with less peer attachment could regularly be victimized by stress, those with secure attachment with their peers is believed to receive precautionary advices from their peers and thus not afraid of contextual stress situations. For instance, female adolescents often educate their female peers on possible ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy, while males inform their adolescent peers on the dangers of substance use. All things being equal, whereby an adolescent that belongs to any of the above peers encounters such stressful situation, his/her peer instruction will help him