Role of adult attachment and spiritual attachment on meaning in life among religious minorities in Thailand: Insights for mental health promotion.

Attachment to God fully mediated the negative relationship between insecure human attachment and the presence of meaning in life.

• Mediation analysis was used to test the indirect effect of insecure attachment on meaning via attachment to God.
• The mediation was described as 'full,' indicating that attachment to God accounted for the entire indirect pathway between insecure human attachment and meaning in life.
• Both avoidant and anxious dimensions of insecure human attachment were assessed.
• The study used validated self-report measures for all constructs.

Participants with higher insecure attachment reported lower meaning in life, but those with a secure attachment to God did not display this deficit.

• Insecure human attachment was operationalized as having both avoidant and anxious components.
• The presence of meaning in life was measured using a validated self-report measure.
• Secure attachment to God appeared to buffer or compensate for the negative effects of insecure human attachment on meaning in life.
• The study was cross-sectional in design, limiting causal inference.

The study was conducted with Thai Protestant Christians, a religious minority population in Thailand.

• Thai Protestant Christians represent a religious minority within the broader Thai social context.
• A cross-sectional survey design was employed.
• The minority context was considered relevant to the role of spiritual attachment as a psychological resource.
• The authors highlighted that findings have particular relevance for individuals experiencing relational or social marginalization.

Attachment to God was identified as a central psychological resource that enhances meaning in life, particularly in a minority religious context.

• The authors describe attachment to God as 'a positive figure for humans' that enhances meaning in life.
• The findings suggest spiritual interventions may be important for individuals experiencing relational or social marginalization.
• Attachment theory provided the theoretical framework, with secure relationships posited as foundational to meaning in life.
• The study extended attachment theory to include spiritual attachment as a compensatory mechanism.

The authors highlight the importance of spiritual interventions for individuals experiencing relational or social marginalization.

• Findings are positioned as having implications for mental health promotion.
• Spiritual interventions are recommended particularly for minority religious populations.
• The compensatory role of God attachment for insecure human attachment has direct clinical relevance according to the authors.
• The study suggests that addressing spiritual attachment may be a meaningful avenue for mental health support in minority contexts.