Resilience as a mediator of the relationship between self-reported attachment styles and psychological health

Scope: Resilience has been conceptualised as an individual difference and an adaptive skill that can be acquired during times of hardship to achieve positive outcomes despite adversity (Benard, 2004; Gillespie, Chaboyer, & Wallis, 2007; Rutter, 2007). As a psychological construct, resilience has considerable appeal to health professionals as it potentially plays an important role in the onset of, coping with, and recovery from illness and mental health concerns (Atkinson et al., 2009). Significant evidence has been accumulated demonstrating that an individual’s capacity to be resilient influences psychological health and enhances well-being (e.g., Atkinson et al., 2009; Truffino, 2010). Theorists have suggested that individual differences in resilience may be the result of early interpersonal experiences, particularly those related to attachment relationships. In the present study, I explore how individual differences in resilience and attachment may be associated and how both may be related to the psychological adjustment. Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the associations between attachment styles and psychological health, with a particular focus on resilience as a mediator. We proposed a partial-mediation model whereby attachment insecurity would be negatively associated with psychological well-being and positively associated with psychological distress. Furthermore, it was proposed that attachment insecurity would be negatively associated with resilience which would be positively associated with psychological well-being and negatively associated with psychological distress. In the present study, psychological distress was defined by the presence of depression, anxiety, or stress symptoms. Methodology: Participants were 210 adults from the general community who completed an online survey. Measures employed include the Attachment Styles Questionnaire, the Resilience Scale for Adults, The Satisfaction with Life Questionnaire and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Structural equation modelling was used to assess the mediating effect of resilience.Results: As hypothesised, attachment avoidance and anxiety were significantly, negatively correlated with psychological well-being and significantly, positively correlated with psychological distress. Furthermore, attachment avoidance and anxiety significantly, negatively correlated with resilience which was significantly, positively correlated with psychological well-being and was significantly, negatively correlated with psychological distress. Overall, we found that the mediating effect of resilience varied depending on the outcome measure. Specifically, resilience fully mediated the relationship between attachment insecurity and wellbeing, partially mediated the relationship between attachment insecurity and depression, and did not mediate the relationship between attachment insecurity and anxiety or stress. Conclusions/Implications: The findings provide suggestive evidence why individuals differ in psychological health as a function of attachment style. Our results support theorising of resilience as an important determinant of psychological outcomes, most specifically well-being and depression. As resilient behaviours can be learned and interwoven with contextual life experiences (Edward & Warelow, 2005), there is the potential to guide mental health clinical interventions. Fostering resilience qualities such as positive social and familial climates, self-esteem, and mechanisms for effective coping may act as protective mechanism against the development of depression or as an effective treatment for individuals who are depressed (Edward, 2005).