Open Access

ARTICLE

From Attachment Insecurity to Life Satisfaction: The Pathway of Psychological Needs Satisfaction among Chinese University Students

Xi Chen^*, Azlina Mohd Khir, Hanina Halimatusaadiah Hamsan, Nik Ahmad Sufian Burhan
Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
* Corresponding Author: Xi Chen. Email:

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.080122

Received 03 February 2026; Accepted 20 March 2026; Published online 14 April 2026

Abstract

Background: Life satisfaction represents a core indicator of subjective well-being among university students. Yet the mechanisms linking adult attachment orientations to life satisfaction have not been fully elucidated, particularly within Chinese cultural contexts. Integrating Attachment Theory with Self-Determination Theory, this study aims to investigate how attachment anxiety and avoidance are associated with life satisfaction, with autonomy, competence, and relatedness proposed as parallel mediators. Methods: Using multi-stage stratified random sampling, 488 Chinese university students (48.0% male; Mean_age = 20.15, SD = 1.42) were recruited from four universities in Anhui Province, China. Participants completed validated self-report instruments assessing attachment anxiety and avoidance, basic psychological needs satisfaction, and life satisfaction. A parallel mediation model was tested using structural equation modeling with bias-corrected bootstrapping (5000 resamples). Results: The hypothesized model demonstrated acceptable fit (χ²/df = 3.94, CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.078). Attachment anxiety and avoidance were each negatively associated with all three psychological needs (βs ranging from −0.25 to −0.51, all p < 0.001), which in turn were positively related to life satisfaction (βs ranging from 0.28 to 0.30, all p < 0.001). Total indirect effects were significant for both attachment anxiety (β = −0.33, 95% CI [−0.42, −0.24]) and avoidance (β = −0.25, 95% CI [−0.34, −0.18]), whereas direct effects were nonsignificant, indicating full mediation. The model accounted for 49.2% of the variance in life satisfaction. Conclusions: These findings suggest that insecure attachment is associated with lower life satisfaction indirectly through reduced fulfillment of basic psychological needs. Practically, interventions need not focus exclusively on modifying attachment styles; rather, fostering need-supportive environments represents a viable and culturally appropriate pathway for enhancing well-being among Chinese university students.

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Keywords

Attachment insecurity; attachment anxiety; attachment avoidance; life satisfaction; basic psychological needs satisfaction; autonomy; competence; relatedness

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