Adaptive Self-Concept Mediates the Well-Established Relationship Between Attachment and Self-Care

Aleksandra Pilarska

doi:10.18290/rpsych2025.0010

Published : 2026-04-27

No. Online First

Adaptive Self-Concept Mediates the Well-Established Relationship Between Attachment and Self-Care

Aleksandra Pilarska

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9507-8710

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rpsych2025.0010

Abstract

This study utilized the adaptive self-concept model to investigate the role of attachment anxiety and avoidance in self-care functioning. Specifically, the study explored how attachment insecurity contributes to self-care both directly and indirectly through clarity, openness, self-distance, non-rumination, and modifiability of the self-concept. The mediation model was tested using path analysis with 320 participants drawn from established adulthood, a life stage spanning ages 30–45, marked by intersecting career, relational, and caregiving demands. The Experiences in Close Relationships–Revised Short Form (ECR-RS), the Adaptive Self-Concept Questionnaire (ASCQ), and the Self-Care Questionnaire (SCQ) were used to collect data. The results supported a simplified model that included partial mediation and accounted for nearly 65% of the variance in self-care. Self-concept clarity emerged as the dominant contributor to the adverse effect of attachment insecurity on self-care capacity. In contrast, modifiability of the self-concept did not mediate the link between attachment and self-care. The findings reinforce the notion that individuals who experience high attachment anxiety and avoidance are more likely to engage in various forms of self-neglect and hazardous behaviors. They also provide insight into the specific aspects of the self-concept at play between attachment dimensions and self-care. Further studies could clarify the extent to which the adaptive self-concept may be a target for interventions to improve individuals’ ability to care for themselves.

Keywords:

attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, self-care, adaptive self-concept

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