Attachment Styles and Quality of Romantic and Family Relationship in a French Population of Young Adults: the Mediating Role of Trait-mindfulness
Nadia Chakroun-Baggioni, Rebecca Shankland, Estelle Fall
Research Square August 17, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3249417/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study using structural equation modeling |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 195 |
| Population | First-year psychology students not experts in mindfulness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Trait mindfulness mediated the relationship between adult attachment and romantic relationship quality, with adult attachment showing an indirect effect on romantic relationship quality. Mindfulness was associated with romantic relationship quality regardless of attachment style. Only parental attachment predicted quality of the parental relationship. |
Abstract
Abstract Although the literature has shown that attachment and mindfulness are related to relationship quality, their cumulative effect remains unclear. This study aims to understand the impact of mindfulness on the relationship between parental and adult attachment styles and the quality of relationships with parents and romantic partners in young adults. Data were collected on 195 first-year psychology students not experts in mindfulness. Structural equation models showed that trait mindfulness mediated the relationship between adult attachment and romantic relationship quality. Adult attachment had an indirect effect on the quality of romantic relationships. Mindfulness played an important mediating role as it was significantly associated with romantic relationships quality regardless of the nature of attachment. Only parental attachment was a predictor of quality of parental relationship. These results show that the more secure the attachment to the parents, the better the quality of the relationship with them in adulthood, while in romantic partners mindfulness plays a role in relationship quality. Therefore, interventions that develop trait mindfulness could be effective in increasing ability of young adults to have more satisfying relationships with their romantic partner. Interventions promoting the development of secure attachment would be the most suitable to improve quality of family relationships.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report Assessment September 1, 2004
- Has the science of mindfulness lost its mind? BJPsych Bulletin December 2016
and 3 more in the library