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Secondary attachment and mental health in Pakistani and Scottish adolescents: A moderated mediation model
Author(s) -
Imran Somia,
MacBeth Angus,
Quayle Ethel,
Chan Stella W.Y.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
psychology and psychotherapy: theory, research and practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.102
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 2044-8341
pISSN - 1476-0835
DOI - 10.1111/papt.12280
Subject(s) - moderation , psychology , coping (psychology) , mental health , moderated mediation , psychological distress , clinical psychology , distress , attachment theory , developmental psychology , social psychology , psychiatry
Objectives Research into adolescent mental health has tended to focus on primary attachment relationships. However, the effect of secondary attachment relationships and the role of culture remain under‐explored. This study examined the associations between primary attachment, secondary attachment, and coping strategies (task‐focused, emotion‐focused, and avoidant coping) with psychological well‐being and psychological distress in adolescents across two cultural settings. Design A cross‐sectional study. Method An identical test battery was used across two geographic sites in Pakistan ( N = 510; 12–18 years; 51.5% male; mean age = 14.50) and Scotland ( N = 610; 12–18 years; 53.6% male; mean age = 13.97). Associations were tested separately in each sample using moderated mediation modelling for the outcome variables: psychological well‐being and psychological distress. Results For psychological well‐being, all three coping strategies were significant partial mediators and secondary attachment was a significant moderator in both samples. Secondary attachment moderated the association between emotion‐focused coping and psychological well‐being in the Pakistani sample only. For psychological distress, task‐focused coping was a significant full mediator in the Pakistani sample only. In contrast, for the Scottish sample, task‐focused coping and emotion‐focused coping were significant partial mediators. Secondary attachment’s direct effect on psychological distress was significant in both samples. Secondary attachment also moderated the association between emotion‐focused coping and psychological distress in the Pakistani sample only. Conclusions The cross‐cultural evidence suggests that alongside primary attachment, it is important to target secondary attachment through coping strategies, in order to enhance psychological well‐being and lessen psychological distress in adolescents. Practitioner points Secondary attachment plays a different role from primary attachment in adolescents. Therefore, it is important to target both primary attachment and secondary attachment security to enhance psychological well‐being and lessen psychological distress. Cross‐cultural differences in coping suggest that differential strategies to target different coping dimensions may enhance adolescent well‐being across cultures. These cross‐cultural differences highlight the ethical importance of cultural sensitivity among clinicians working with adolescents globally.