Connecting attachment style to resilience: Contributions of self-care and self-efficacy

Research suggests attachment style may contribute to individual differences in resilience, but little is known about the mechanisms of this relationship. Self-care and self-efficacy may be promising pathways by which attachment influences resilience. The current study evaluated the contributions of attachment security, self-efficacy, and self-care to resilience among a sample of undergraduate students. We hypothesized that individuals with a more secure attachment style would experience greater resilience via increased self-efficacy and more frequent practicing of self-care. Participants reported attachment style, resilience, self-efficacy, and self-care. Results partially supported the hypotheses; self-efficacy and self-care partially mediated the relationship between attachment security and resilience. Therefore, to promote resilience, it may be preferable to focus efforts on these more malleable factors. •Securely attached individuals exhibit greater resilience.•This relationship appears to partially mediated by self-efficacy and self-care.•These more malleable factors offer a pathway by which one may improve resilience.