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Factors associated with fear of intimacy among a representative sample of the Lebanese population: The role of depression, social phobia, self‐esteem, intimate partner violence, attachment, and maladaptive schemas
Author(s) -
Obeid Sahar,
Sacre Hala,
Haddad Chadia,
Akel Marwan,
Fares Kassandra,
Zakhour Maha,
Kheir Nelly,
Salameh Pascale,
Hallit Souheil
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
perspectives in psychiatric care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1744-6163
pISSN - 0031-5990
DOI - 10.1111/ppc.12438
Subject(s) - psychology , schema (genetic algorithms) , attachment theory , clinical psychology , population , developmental psychology , medicine , environmental health , machine learning , computer science
Purpose To assess fear of intimacy (FOI) in the Lebanese population, and its correlates such as depression, social phobia, self‐esteem, attachment, and maladaptive schemas. Design/Methods This cross‐sectional study, conducted between November 2017 and May 2018, enrolled 707 community‐dwelling participants. Results Higher FOI scores were associated with an increase in the defectiveness schema ( β = 0.483), social phobia score ( β = 0.16), mistrust schema ( β = 0.519), vulnerability schema ( β = 0.482), emotional deprivation schema ( β = 0.548), attachment style D (dismissing) ( β = 0.913) and failure schema, whereas lower FOI was significantly associated with an increase in the entitlement schema ( β = −0.362), insufficient schema ( β = −0.377), and the self‐esteem score ( β = −0.288). Practice Implications Implementing educational programs are needed to enable persons to develop healthy intimate relationships, taking into account attachment styles and inappropriate early schemas.