Attachment styles and happiness in the elderly: the mediating role of reminiscence styles

Background The current study aims to investigate the relationship between attachment styles and happiness through the mediating role of reminiscence styles in the elderly. Methods This was a correlational study of structural equations modelling (SEM) type. The statistical population included all the elderly aged at least 60 years living in Kermanshah province, Iran in 2021, among whom 380 (182 men and 198 women) were selected using convenience sampling method. Participants filled out the questionnaires of Adult Attachment Styles, Oxford Happiness, and Amani et al.'s Reminiscence Styles. Results The results indicated that secure attachment style has a positive and negative relationship with positive reminiscence (PR) and negative reminiscence (NR), respectively. However, the opposite held true for both avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles. It was also found that secure attachment style has a positive relationship, and avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles have a negative relationship with happiness. Moreover, participants' gender and age had no moderating effect on the mentioned relationships. The results of SEM indicated that secure and ambivalent attachment styles were associated with happiness through both PR and NR, and avoidant attachment style was associated with happiness only through NR. Conclusions The findings emphasize the significance of the development of internal working models based on the kind of parent-child's reminiscences and narratives, and the lifelong effects of these models.

Automated summary

The current study examines the relationship between attachment styles and happiness in the elderly, mediated by reminiscence styles. The results indicate that secure attachment style is positively related to positive reminiscence and negatively related to negative reminiscence. On the other hand, avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles show the opposite pattern. Additionally, secure attachment style is positively associated with happiness, while avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles are negatively associated with happiness. Gender and age do not moderate these relationships. Attachment styles are related to happiness through both positive and negative reminiscence.