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

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.