The relationships between attachment styles and well-being in older adults: a three-level meta-analysis and...

Well-being is essential for older adults in an aging society. Although numerous studies have examined the relationship between attachment styles and well-being in older adults, the primary aim of this meta-analysis was to clarify the distinct associations of secure and insecure attachment with both well-being and ill-being in this population.

Following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses statement, a three-level meta-analytic model was applied to quantitatively synthesize relevant findings and conduct moderator analyses. A systematic literature search retrieved a total of 54 studies with 261 effect sizes (N = 19,162) for this meta-analysis.

The results revealed a positive correlation (r = 0.247) between secure attachment and well-being in older adults. Insecure attachment was negatively correlated with well-being (r = -0.181) and positively correlated with ill-being in older adults (r = 0.246). Moreover, publication year, publication status, culture, marital status, attachment measurement, types of insecure attachment, and types of well-being were found to have significant moderating effects.

This meta-analysis highlights the significance of attachment style and may have important implications for future research and interventions aimed at enhancing well-being in older adults.