Retrospective Adolescent Parental Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance as Predictors of Current Young Adult Mental Health

Previous findings indicate mixed evidence on whether attachment anxiety or attachment avoidance plays a significant role on mental health. Evidence from several studies indicate attachment anxiety as a prominent predictor of mental health difficulties, but evidence from other studies indicate attachment avoidance as a significant predictor of mental health difficulties. Therefore, we simultaneously examined whether retrospective parental attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance during adolescence significantly predicted current symptoms of mental health difficulties during young adulthood (depression, anxiety, somatization, loneliness, stress). We also examined whether attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance had interactive effects on mental health. Path analyses were conducted in a sample of 475 Canadian young adults (Mage = 20.2 years; SD = 2.18; women: n = 274, 57.7%; White: n = 243, 51.6%). Contrary to expectations, retrospective parental attachment avoidance, but not attachment anxiety, significantly predicted all indicators of current mental health difficulties. Attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety did not significantly interact to predict mental health. Findings suggest the importance of reducing early emotional distance and disengagement to help improve well-being.