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

Abstract

Although insecure parental attachment (IPA) has been shown to play an important role in anxiety, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship. In the present study, we examined the mediating role of subjective well-being (SWB) in the association between IPA and anxiety and the moderating role of self-esteem. 947 Chinese vocational college students completed the measures of IPA, anxiety, SWB, and self-esteem. The results indicated that IPA was significantly and positively associated with anxiety, and SWB partially mediated this relationship. Moreover, the results indicated that self-esteem moderated the relationship between IPA and anxiety. The higher the level of self-esteem, the weaker the effect of insecure attachment on the anxiety of vocational college students. This study highlights the significance of identifying the mechanisms of mediating and moderating paths between IPA and anxiety in vocational college students.