Relationship between attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, mentalization ability, and various digital addictions: a cross-sectional study among university students

The increasing prevalence of digital media use has been accompanied by a rise in behavioral addictions, such as smartphone and social media addiction. Theoretical models based on attachment theory suggest that insecure attachment styles, particularly attachment anxiety and avoidance, may predispose individuals to maladaptive digital behaviors as a form of affect- and relationship regulation. In addition, mentalization theory posits that the ability to understand one’s own and others’ mental states serves as a protective factor in affect- and relationship regulation. However, little is known about how mentalization ability interacts with attachment insecurities in predicting digital addictions. This study examines the relationship between attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, mentalization ability, and digital addictions among students in Germany and Austria. Specifically, it analyzes whether mentalization ability moderates the relationship between attachment insecurities and digital addictions. A cross-sectional study was conducted with N = 324 students from Germany and Austria. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their attachment style (ECR-RD), mentalization ability (MZQ-6), and forms of digital addiction (smartphone, social media). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine main effects and interaction terms, testing moderation models. Attachment anxiety emerged as a robust predictor of both forms of digital addiction, particularly social media addiction. Attachment avoidance was also significantly associated with digital addiction but to a lesser extent. Crucially, mentalization ability moderated the association between attachment avoidance and social media addiction, such that individuals with high avoidance and low mentalization were most vulnerable. These findings support the integration of attachment theory and mentalization theory in understanding digital addictions. The results highlight that mentalization ability may buffer the adverse effects of attachment avoidance, suggesting that interventions targeting both attachment dynamics and mentalization skills could enhance prevention and treatment efforts. Future studies should further explore this interaction using longitudinal and clinical designs.