Child Exposure to High-Conflict Divorce and Subjective Well-Being in Early Adulthood: The Mediating Role of Attachment to Parents

Abstract When parental separation is marked by chronic conflict, children must adapt not only to the separation itself but also to disruptions in the family relationships that ordinarily provide security. These experiences may remain relevant long after childhood, as relationships with parents continue to play an important role in young adulthood. This cross-sectional study examined associations between childhood exposure to high-conflict divorce (HCD), subjective well-being, and parental attachment in 363 French young adults (85.4% women; mean age = 20.39 years) whose parents separated before age 16. HCD exposure was assessed retrospectively using a factor score derived from 12 indicators of the family and separation context. Subjective well-being and attachment were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Bivariate correlations were examined, followed by three multiple mediation models with four parallel attachment mediators, estimated using 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Greater HCD exposure was associated with lower positive affect and life satisfaction, higher negative affect, and greater attachment anxiety and avoidance toward both parents. For positive affect, the total indirect effect was significant, whereas the direct effect was not. For life satisfaction, both direct and total indirect effects were significant. In both models, attachment anxiety toward the mother was the only significant specific indirect pathway. For negative affect, the direct effect remained significant but the total indirect effect was not. These findings highlight distinct associations between childhood HCD exposure and the emotional and cognitive components of well-being in early adulthood, with parental attachment playing different roles across outcomes.