The Impact of Adult Attachment of University Students on Depression: The Mediating Effect of Emotion Recognition

Objectives This study aimed to verify the mediating effect of emotion recognition in the relationship between adult attachment and depression. Methods To achieve this, an online survey was conducted to measure adult attachment, emotion recognition, and depression among university students currently enrolled in four-year universities in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Incheon. Data from a total of 347 participants were finally analyzed. Correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were performed using SPSS 22. Results The results can be summarized as follows: First, there were significant positive correlations between attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, emotion recognition, and depression. Second, emotion recognition had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between attachment anxiety and depression. Third, emotion recognition had a full mediating effect on the relationship between attachment avoidance and depression. Conclusions Attachment anxiety directly affected depression or indirectly through emotion recognition, while attachment avoidance did not directly affect depression but influenced it through emotion recognition as a mediator. Based on these findings, efficient counseling intervention strategies and limitations were discussed to address the challenges faced by university students experiencing depression.