Pathways to well-being in adolescence: The role of parent attachment and competence Attachment security is a cornerstone of social development because it provides the child with autonomy, self-confidence and other emotional and social tool needed to develop relationship with in the social world. In line with Bolwby (1988) conceptualized attachment as a life span construct, with children maintaining attachments bonds to their parents across childhood and into adolescence. Recently, adolescent attachment with their parents has been explicitly considered in many studies and a vast number of studies provide empirical evidence for the link between parental attachment and psychological well-being and adjustment in adolescence (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987; Laible, Carlo & Roeschc, 2004 ). This study examined that whether parent attachment (mother and father) exert solely direct effected on adolescents’ adjustment and psychological well-being (i.e., positive affect and negative affect) or whether these effects were mediated though the adolescents’ competence (view them as capable). The direct paths suggest that secure attachment relationships with mother and father promote adjustment and feelings of well-being. However, it was also proposed that mother and father attachment had indirect influences on adjustment and psychological well-being through competence. Secure attachments with mother and father likely foster high levels of competence, which in turn have been linked with high levels of adjustment and psychological well-being. To describe the dimensions of the parents–adolescent relationships that can be targeted in prevention and intervention programs for facilitating adolescents’ development in school settings. The aim of this kind of training or education program is to strengthen the bond between adolescents and their parents, so that they can establish better interaction to overcome difficulties in adjustment and emotional disturbance. Especially school counselors may develop workshops or group training sessions in which mother and fathers participate in to learn various skills to help adolescent improve the “competence”, including communication skills, quality of their relationships peer groups, and social interaction management.

Participant and Procedure: 315 high school students from Ankara, Turkey, were asked to participate in the study during the 2007-2008 academic year. 33 participants were excluded from the study because of their incomplete answers. The results were analyzed for the remaining 282 participants (149 female, 133 male) aged between 14 and 18 years (M= 16.05, SD=1.04). Measures: The data were obtained by using the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, Positive and Negative Affect Scales, The Basic Psychological Need Inventory and Reynolds Adolescent Adjustment Screening Inventory.

The structural model was tested using the maximum-likelihood method in the LISREL 8.54 program (Joreskog & Sorbom, 2003). An initial test of the measurement model resulted in a relatively good fit to the data, scaled χ2(104, N=282)= 171,66, p= .001, CFI=.98, RMSEA=.048, SRMR=.027, GFI=.93 and AGFI= .90. The results of the structural model testing revealed a good fit of the model to the data, scaled χ2(107, N=282)= 221,79, p= .001, CFI=.97, RMSEA=.062, SRMR=.043, GFI=.92 and AGFI= .88. Mother attachment and competence were significantly and positively related to adjustment and well-being. However, direct paths from mother attachment to positive and negative affect were not significant suggesting that competence was full mediator between mother attachment and well-being, but was partial mediators between mother attachment and adjustment. Father attachment and were not related to competence suggesting that paths from father attachment did not significantly contribute to the fit of the model.