This study examined basic psychological needs satisfaction (i.e., the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness) as a mediator between adult attachment (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) and distress (i.e., shame, depression, and loneliness). A total of 299 undergraduates from a Midwestern university participated. Results from structural equation modeling analysis indicated that basic psychological needs satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and shame, depression, and loneliness and fully mediated the relationship between attachment avoidance and shame, depression, and loneliness. Bootstrap methods were used to assess the magnitude of these indirect effects. Attachment anxiety and avoidance explained 35% of the variance in basic psychological needs satisfaction, and attachment anxiety and basic psychological needs satisfaction explained 51%, 72%, and 74% of the variance in shame, depression, and loneliness, respectively.

This study used a longitudinal design to examine whether maladaptive perfectionism and ineffective coping served as 2 mediators of the relation between adult attachment and future depression. Data were collected from 372 undergraduates at 2 time points. Results indicated that (a) the impact of attachment on future depression was mediated through future maladaptive perfectionism and ineffective coping, (b) ineffective coping mediated the relation between maladaptive perfectionism and depression, and (c) maladaptive perfectionism and ineffective coping influenced each other at 1 point in time and across time, and, in turn, both variables contributed to depression. A bootstrap procedure was used to estimate the significance of these indirect effects. About 60% of the variance in future depression was explained in the final model. Future research, counseling implications, and limitations of the present study are discussed.

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to thank my classmates, Anna, Dawn, Robyn, & Irina, who have provided me with emotional and strategic support on an ongoing basis. I feel so fortunate to have you all at my side. I also want to express my gratitude to Dr. Norman Scott, Dr. Douglas Bonett, and Dr. Wendy Harrod for their support and guidance as members of my Thesis Committee. Finally, to Dr. Meifen Wei, my major professor and professional mentor, I am in your debt. Thank you for both challenging and supporting me throughout these past few years, and thank you for your seemingly unwavering patience that gave me the confidence to keep trying even when things seemed overwhelming. The present study examined the mediating and moderating roles of self-silencing between adult attachment (anxiety and avoidance) and disordered eating attitudes. Participants were 221 female college students from a large Midwestern university. Survey data was analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression and the bootstrap procedure for testing the significance of indirect effects. For the mediation, the results indicated that self-silencing fully mediated the relation between attachment avoidance and disordered eating attitudes. Moreover, self-silencing partially mediated the relation between attachment anxiety and disordered eating attitudes. Specifically, the results showed significant positive relations between adult attachment (anxiety and avoidance) and self-silencing as well as self-silencing and disordered eating attitudes. The direct association between attachment anxiety and disordered eating attitudes was also positive over and beyond the indirect effect through self-silencing. Conversely, the findings did not support self-silencing as a moderator between attachment (anxiety and avoidance) and disordered eating attitudes. The significant mediation effects suggest that it is not only important to consider attachment anxiety and avoidance in understanding and treating disordered eating attitudes, but also that self-silencing plays a significant role in this association. In other words, the results imply counseling psychologists could work with women with attachment anxiety and avoidance to reduce their disordered eating attitudes by helping them recognize how their self-silencing in relationships contributes to these attitudes. Finally, limitations, future research, and detailed counseling implications are presented.