IntroductionThe transition from adolescence into adulthood is a stage of human development characterized by a broad change of physical and psychological dimensions.Objectives and aimsTo examine the associations between affective temperaments (depressive, cyclothymic, hyperthymic, irritable and anxious) and attachment styles in a population of adolescents and young adults.MethodSample: 760 nursing students from 4 Higher Schools. Data was collected by a self-report questionnaire, with several measures: Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego (TEMPS-A), (Akiskal & Akiskal, 2005a, Figueira et al., 2008), the Intimate Friendship Scale (Sharabany, 1994; Cordeiro, 2007), Father/Mother Attachment Questionnaire - QVPM, Version IV (Matos & Costa, 2001a), Love Attachment Questionnaire - QVA, Version III (Matos & Costa, 2001b), Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, 1967; Vaz Serra & Pio de Abreu, 1973ab) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI - Forms Y-1 and Y-2 (Spielberger, Gorsuch & Lushene, 1997, Silva & Campos, 1998, Santos & Silva, 1997).ResultsThe participants are mostly female (83.3%) with an average age of 21.3 years.The dominant affective temperament for the total of the studied population was the depressive temperament but the results suggested a balance between anxious and irritable temperaments and also between depressive and cyclothymic temperaments.ConclusionThe attachment to a best friend has shown to be associated with anxious temperament. All temperaments were associated with several factors of attachment to the mother, the father or to love peers.A correlation between temperament and anxiety and between temperament and depressive symptoms were also found.