UC Merced

Objective: To determine what factors of mindfulness mediate the relationship between attachment and coping motives for drinking.

Design: We conducted a correlational, longitudinal study with young adults completing surveys at Time 1 (T1) and 30 days later (T2).

Methods: We recruited adults ages 18-24 from across the United States to complete online surveys at Time 1 (N=330) and Time 2 (N=271; 82% retention) 30 days later. Surveys included measures of attachment style, mindfulness, and coping motives for drinking.

Results: We used a bootstrapping method to test for indirect effects with multiple mediators. The effects of T1 anxious attachment on T2 coping motives for drinking was completely mediated by three factors of T1 mindfulness. Anxious attachment predicted reduced acting with awareness, nonreactivity, and nonjudgmental attitudes. Coping motives were predicted by less acting with awareness, nonreactivity, and nonjudgmental attitudes. Lastly, there were significant total effects. So, higher levels of awareness, nonreactivity, and nonjudgmental attitudes predicted reduced use of coping motives for drinking, but higher anxious attachment predicted greater coping motives via these mindfulness factors.

Conclusion: While both anxious attachment and mindfulness predict the use of coping motives, mindfulness mediates the relationship between anxious attachment and coping motives. Future binge-drinking interventions may incorporate training in mindfulness skills. Given that interventions designed to increase mindfulness have better success than those designed to alter attachment style, this intervention approach seems promising, especially for those with substance abuse issues.