The Relationship between Attachment and Subjective Well-being: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Skill

Abstract

Attachment styles are considered important not only for adults' close relationships but also for individual's well-being, reflecting the subjective quality of life, covering positive mood, vitality, and interest in things. Emotion regulation is considered to be in direct relation with these variables and expected to play a mediating role in the association between attachment and well-being. The aim of this study was to obtain better insight into the associations between attachment styles and subjective well-being, by testing the possible mediating role of emotion regulation skill. The methodology employed in this study was descriptive methodology. Sample demographics were 130 students of University of Isfahan, Iran, who were selected based on multi-stage simple sampling method. Direct effects of attachment styles on emotion regulation skill were all significant (p<.05). Direct effects of secure and avoidance styles on SWB were both significant (p<.05). Indirect effects of attachment styles on SWB were all significant (p<.05). Indirect effects of avoidance style on SWB was-0.11, indirect effects of secure style on SWB was 0.4, and indirect effects of ambivalence style on SWB was-.21 (p<.05). Model fit indices were:

Insecure Parental Attachment and Anxiety in Vocational College Students: The Mediating Role of Subjective Well-Being and the Moderating Role of Self-Esteem

“…16,17 This excessive anxiety and neediness may cause them to become insecure and overly dependent in intimate relationships, which can reduce the individual's subjective well-being. 18 Moreover, their anxiety levels may increase due to persistent worry. 19 On the other hand, individuals with insecure attachments usually tend to remain independent and avoid emotional connections.…”

Can attachment styles predict psychological and emotional well-being?

“…The insecure attachment lowers the flexibility to tackle stressful life events and influences a person to break down psychologically in crisis moments. Insecure attachment can therefore be observed as a general weakness to mental disorders, with the specificity of genetics, developmental, and environmental factors 19 .…”

Exploring the Association between Attachment Style, Psychological Well-Being, and Relationship Status in Young Adults and Adults—A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Regarding the bond between psychological well-being and type of attachment, some studies have discovered that the attachment styles of individuals play a significant role in influencing well-being [ 20 , 31 , 41 , 44 ]. According to these findings, insecure attachment styles (such as anxious and avoidant attachment) are inversely associated with overall well-being, whereas attachment security is positively correlated [ 7 , 41 , 42 , 44 , 45 ]. Specifically, people who had secure attachment experiences displayed good interpersonal relationships, high degrees of autonomy, adequate environmental mastery, a sense of purpose in life, and high levels of self-acceptance [ 46 ]; in addition, high levels of autonomy, personal growth (in terms of competence), and positive relationships with others are related to the secure attachment of an individual [ 47 , 48 ].…”

“…On the contrary, those who expressed avoidant attachment had trouble managing their interactions with others and their surroundings, and they also indicated less self-acceptance than the other groups. The mediational roles of dispositional mindfulness, psychological inflexibility, and resilience in the relationship between attachment styles and psychological well-being were examined in the Italian context by Calvo et al [ 45 ]. The data suggested that lower levels of psychological well-being were correlated with higher levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance.…”