title: Contentment Duration Mediates the Associations between Anxious Attachment Style and Psychological Distress.
abstract: Relatively little is known about the emotional processes underlying the association between adult attachment styles and psychological distress. This study aims to examine the role of contentment in terms of intensity and duration in the positive associations between anxious and avoidant attachment styles and psychological distress. A sample of 284 Chinese university students completed a self-reported questionnaire on attachment styles, intensity and duration of contentment, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling revealed that duration of contentment mediated the positive associations of anxious attachment style with anxiety symptoms [β = 0.05,p= 0.004; BC 95% CI (0.02,0.11)] and depressive symptoms [β = 0.04,p= 0.03; BC 95% CI (0.003,0.09)], model fit: χ2(259) = 455.06,p< 0.001, CFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.07. Participants with higher anxious attachment style were more likely to report shorter duration of contentment, which was, in turn, associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms. The results suggest a positive emotional pathway underlying the association between anxious attachment style and psychological distress. Implications based on the findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong; Laboratory of Psychobiology of Emotion and Stress, The Education University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Sin Man
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong; Laboratory of Psychobiology of Emotion and Stress, The Education University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong; Centre for Psychosocial Health, The Education University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Wai Kai
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Hou
keywords: adult attachment styles; anxiety; anxious and avoidant attachment; depression; intensity and duration of contentment