Attachment Styles, Body Image Concern, and Social Anxiety in University Students

Abstract

Mental health challenges among Pakistani university students, particularly social anxiety and body image disturbance, represent a growing public health concern. This study examined the relationships among attachment styles, body image concern, and social anxiety, investigating the mediating role of body image concern and gender based group differences. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed with a convenience sample of 300 university students (Male = 158, Female = 142; Mage = 18– 22 years) recruited from universities in Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected using the Attachment Style Questionnaire–Short Form (ASQ-SF), Body Self-Image Questionnaire–Short Form (BSIQ-SF), and Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS). Pearson correlations, multiple regression, and bootstrapped mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS version 27. Results confirmed significant positive correlations among anxious attachment, body image concern, and social anxiety. Anxious attachment emerged as the strongest predictor of social anxiety, explaining 41.4% of the variance.