Parental Attachment and Mental Health Literacy in Young Adults: The Mediational Role of Emotional Regulation on Well‐Being and Psychopathological

Entering higher education can represent significant challenges to the adaptation of young students. Supportive family relationships and mental health literacy can act as protective factors, favoring regulatory mechanisms that promote adaptive experiences. This study aims to analyze the role of attachment to parents in well-being and psychopathological symptoms, as well as the role of mental health literacy in these outcomes, testing the mediating role of emotional regulation in the above associations. The sample consisted of 2258 young adults aged 18 to 35, collected using a random probabilistic method. The measures for data collection were a demographic questionnaire, the Psychological Well-Being Manifestation Measure Scale, the Affect Regulation Checklist, the Mental Health Literacy Scale, and the Short Form Version of the Father and Mother Attachment Questionnaire. The results reveal indirect effects of emotional regulation on the association between parental attachment and well-being, as well as with psychopathological symptoms. Similarly, there are positive associations between mental health literacy and well-being and psychopathological symptoms in young students. The results will be discussed in light of attachment theory, emphasizing individual and relational resources in promoting well-being and mental health among university students. The study's practical implication involves designing interventions that bolster parental engagement while concurrently fostering student autonomy.