Parental attachment and mental health in Chinese early adolescents: The mediation role of narcissism

Abstract

The generalization of multiple attachment models in Chinese youth is still unknown, and the specific effect of combined parental attachment on the mental health of early Chinese adolescents and the mechanism behind it remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to empirically investigate the effect of parental attachment on early Chinese adolescents’ mental health, to examine which multiple attachment model could best explain this impact, and to explore the mediating effect of narcissism between them. A sample of 834 early adolescents was recruited to complete standard questionnaires. Regression analyses, MANOVA, and mediation analysis were performed. We found (1) the effects of parental attachment on the mental health of early Chinese adolescents were generally consistent with the integrative model of multiple attachment; (2) a linear relationship was observed between combined parental attachment and anxiety/depression, while a curvilinear relationship was observed between combined parental attachment and life satisfaction; (3) combined parental attachment could affect mental health through vulnerable narcissism instead of grandiose narcissism. The current study offered one of the first evidence for the association between parental attachments and early adolescents’ mental health within a multiple attachment framework in China and provided valuable insight into the role of narcissism between them, as well as contributing to the literature by suggesting that the integrative model could be better refined by considering the characteristics of the indicators.