Maternal and paternal attachment and subjective well-being in adolescents who experienced parental divorce

Background

The existing body of research has revealed links among parental attachment, self-esteem, and subjective well-being in adolescents. However, there is a notable dearth of studies investigating these connections specifically within the context of adolescents dealing with parental divorce.

Objective

This study examined both direct and indirect associations between parental attachment during adolescence and subjective well-being mediated by self-esteem among individuals dealing with parental divorce.

Method

A total of 204 adolescents (female: n = 83; mean age = 14.43 years, SD = 1.55) whose parents were divorced were recruited for this study and completed a self-administered questionnaire including measures of parental attachment, self-esteem, and subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive and negative affect).

Results

A structural equation model revealed the following for adolescents whose parents had undergone divorce: (a) There was a significant positive association between maternal (although not paternal) attachment and subjective well-being. (b) Self-esteem mediated the association of maternal attachment with subjective well-being. (c) These associations were not moderated by the participants' assigned sex at birth. Note: Throughout this article, we use the noun sex to refer to the sex assigned at birth (boy or girl, man or woman), for economy of language.

Conclusion

We emphasize the significance of nurturing secure parent–adolescent attachments and cultivating enhanced self-esteem as potential avenues to bolster the well-being of adolescents navigating the challenges posed by parental divorce.

Implications

These findings have impact for the understanding of the attachment–well-being dynamics involved after parental divorce among adolescents.