Parental attachment and subjective well-being in vocational college students: mediating roles for resilience and self-esteem

Abstract

This study examined the mediating role of resilience and self-esteem in the relationship between parental attachment and subjective well-being of young adults. Utilising a cross-sectional design, the study sampled 964 students from five higher vocational colleges in Beijing (female = 61.0%; freshman = 75.6%; age range = 15 to 24 years, mean age 18.78 ± 1.017). The students completed a survey package including the Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Resilient Trait Scale for Chinese Adults, and Subjective Happiness Scale. The results from structural equation modelling showed that secure attachment was associated with the subjective well-being of vocational college students, in contrast to insecure attachment which was associated with lower subjective well-being. Moreover, the results revealed that resilience and self-esteem were significant mediators between the two types of insecure parental attachment (attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and subjective well-being. Furthermore, resilience and self-esteem had a chain mediation effect between insecure attachment and subjective well-being. These findings suggest that resilience and self-esteem are important in how parental attachment histories translate to subjective well-being at young adulthood. Interventions to remedy attachment histories and subjective well-being in young adults should seek to augment their resilience and self-esteem.

Keywords:

• attachment styles
• mental health
• parent-child relationship
• personality traits

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Major Projects of Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission [D151100002315004]. We would like to thank Professor Rengang Wu, the recipient of the Foundation, for his support.

Author statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare with respect to this research.

Data availability

The data are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.