The influence of attachment on well-being: the mediating role of emotional regulation in Spanish youth
Abstract
People build and maintain emotional bonds along their entire life cycle. The way of bonding, that is, the style of attachment, is a consequence of the relationship mental models constructed during their affective experiences. Individuals with insecure attachment report high anxiety and/or high avoidance in establishing interpersonal relationships. These people could especially benefit from learning appropriate strategies to regulate their emotions, and thus increase their level of well-being. The aim of this paper is to study the relationship between attachment and subjective well-being in young Spanish people, considering emotional regulation as a mediating variable. 126 young people (61.9% female) between the ages of 19 and 26 participated (MeanAge = 24.16; SDAge = 3.54). The Intimate Relationship Experiences questionnaire (ECR-S), the Spanish Meta-State of Mood Scale (TMMS-24), the Life Satisfaction Scale (SWLS) and the Positive and Negative Experience Scale (SPANE) were used. Correlation and mediation analyses were performed using SPSS version 24.0 and PROCESS. The results indicate that emotional regulation mediates the relationship between attachment anxiety and well-being. Avoidance of intimacy is not related to emotional regulation or well-being. The importance of enhancing well-being in youth through emotional education is highlighted, especially in young individuals with anxious attachment traits.
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