Formation of Emotional Bonds through Attachment and their Relationship with Mental Health in Adolescents

Attachment theory has become one of the most influential frameworks for explaining socioemotional development and psychological adjustment across the lifetime. This study adopts a narrative literature review methodology by integrating theoretical and empirical studies on attachment dynamics. The article describes attachment as a biologically rooted emotional connection formed between the child and the primary caregiver and traces the development of attachment theory through the work of John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth, and other researchers. It examines the main theoretical foundations of attachment, including psychoanalytic, ethological, evolutionary, neurobiological, and cognitive perspectives, emphasizing how early caregiving experiences contribute to the formation of internal working models of self and others. The review also addresses attachment styles in childhood and adulthood, highlighting both the continuity and potential changes in attachment across development. Particular attention is given to adolescence, a developmental period in which biological, cognitive, and social changes interact with attachment representations and are related to emotional regulation, interpersonal functioning, and vulnerability to psychopathology. Research generally indicates that secure attachment is associated with resilience, effective coping, and healthier social relationships, whereas attachment insecurity is associated with depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders, suicidal tendencies, and personality disorders. Attachment insecurity is viewed as a predisposing rather than deterministic factor, interacting with genetic, developmental, and environmental influences. Overall, the reviewed literature indicates a consistent relationship between attachment and adolescent mental health and supports the relevance of attachment-informed preventive and therapeutic strategies for promoting healthier psychological functioning.