Attachment to Mother and Father, Sleep, and Well-Being in Late Middle Childhood

Catarina Perpétuo, Mona El-Sheikh, Eva Diniz and Manuela Veríssimo ()
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Catarina Perpétuo: William James Center for Research, ISPA, 1100-287 Lisbon, Portugal
Mona El-Sheikh: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Eva Diniz: William James Center for Research, ISPA, 1100-287 Lisbon, Portugal
Manuela Veríssimo: William James Center for Research, ISPA, 1100-287 Lisbon, Portugal

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: The security of attachment has been related to several advantageous developmental outcomes, such as good sleep quality and higher well-being indicators. However, few studies concern the associations between attachment dimensions to both parents, sleep, and well-being in late middle childhood. Our study aims to expand knowledge in this area, clarifying the above-mentioned associations by considering the secure base and safe haven dimensions of attachment. We also investigate the role of sleep as a mediator of the relationship between attachment and well-being. The 258 participants (49.2% girls, mean age = 11.19, SD = 0.85) completed self-report questionnaires regarding attachment (KSS), sleep (SSR), and well-being (CHIP-CE). The results show significant associations between attachment to both parents (0.40 ** ≤ r ≤ 0.61 **) and between attachment security, sleep (−0.21 ** ≤ r ≤ −0.35 **) and child well-being (0.42 ** ≤ r ≤ 0.47 **). Besides, sleep quality partially mediated the relations between all attachment dimensions to both parents and well-being. The results are discussed in light of attachment theory, focusing on the comparison between attachment to mother and father as a valid framework to unravel differences in child well-being, with sleep as a process that can help to explain the mechanisms through which attachment security enables subjective perceptions of well-being.

Keywords: attachment; secure base support; safe-haven support; sleep quality; well-being; late middle childhood (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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