Research shows a strong link between adult attachment and mental and physical health, but little is known about the mechanisms that underlie these relationships. The present study examined self-compassion and mattering, two constructs from positive psychology literature, as potential mediators. Using survey data from a sample of 208 college students, relationships among attachment, self-compassion, mattering, and functional health were explored. Correlational analyses indicated that attachment anxiety and avoidance were strongly related to the mental health component of functional health. Mediation analyses indicated that mattering and self-compassion mediated the relationships between attachment orientation (i.e., levels of avoidance and anxiety) and mental health. These findings suggest that individuals' abilities to be kind toward themselves and their sense of belonging and being important to others are pathways through which attachment orientation relates to mental health.

After they had learned exploration skills, 128 undergraduate helping skills students were taught to use the insight skill of interpretation. After training, students had higher self-efficacy for using interpretation and were rated by both themselves and volunteer clients as using interpretation more often. Students in a delay condition did not change over a comparable period of time in which they received no training in interpretation. Self-efficacy for interpretation increased after lecture/discussion, a fishbowl exercise in the lecture class, small group practice in the lab, and dyad practice in the lab. In post-training ratings, lab group practice was perceived as the most helpful, the fishbowl exercise the least helpful, and all other components moderately helpful. Students with the highest initial self-efficacy gained the least in selfefficacy but ended with the highest levels of self-efficacy. Students with more prior helping experience increased more in self-efficacy and had the highest final self-efficacy.

After they learned exploration skills, 103 undergraduate helping skills students were taught to use challenges. Prior to training, students' selfefficacy for using challenges did not change, although the quality of written challenges and reflections of feelings did. After training, students rated themselves as having more self-efficacy for using challenges and were judged as providing better written challenges, although there were no further changes in quality of written reflections of feelings. Students maintained self-efficacy for using challenges at a 5-week follow-up. Self-efficacy for using challenges increased after lecture, modeling, written practice, and lab group practice, but students indicated that practice was the most helpful training component. Natural helping ability predicted higher final levels of self-efficacy for using challenges. Qualitative results indicated that cultural background played a role in learning and using challenges.

No abstract

No abstract