Secure base leadership as a mediator between attachment style and work stress in a peacekeeping mission: A two-wave longitudinal study

This study examines how individual differences in attachment style are associated with work stress during an international peacekeeping deployment, and whether Secure Base Leadership (SBL) mediates this relationship over time. Drawing on attachment theory and Siegrist’s Effort – Reward Imbalance (ERI) model, we analyze psychosocial dynamics within a military unit deployed under a United Nations peacekeeping mission. A two-wave longitudinal design was implemented with data collected from military personnel before (T1) and after a six-month deployment (T2). A serial mediation model was tested to evaluate the indirect effect of insecure attachment on work stress through followers’ perceptions of leadership across time. Anxious attachment at T1 was negatively associated with perceptions of SBL at T2, while SBL at T1 was positively associated with perceived reward at T2. The indirect effect of anxious attachment on stress through SBL was significant, suggesting a relational pathway linking attachment-related dispositions, leadership perceptions, and stress appraisals. These findings highlight the importance of how leadership is perceived and interpreted by followers in high-demand operational contexts. SBL may function as a relational resource that helps buffer the impact of insecure attachment on perceived effort – reward imbalance, with implications for leadership development and mental health prevention strategies in military peacekeeping settings.