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. 2023 Aug 31;11(17):2435.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare11172435.

The Influence of Perceived Security in Childhood on Adult Self-Concept: The Mediating Role of Resilience and Self-Esteem

Juan Carlos Martín Quintana  1 , Pedro Francisco Alemán Ramos  2 , Paula Morales Almeida  2
Affiliations

The Influence of Perceived Security in Childhood on Adult Self-Concept: The Mediating Role of Resilience and Self-Esteem

Juan Carlos Martín Quintana et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Secure attachment, developed through consistent relationships with attachment figures in childhood, is a crucial factor in fostering healthy interpersonal relationships and a positive self-perception. Part of the positive parenting approach and the theory of affect is taken as a basis to assess how perceived security, as an indicator of secure attachment, predicts adult self-concept through the mediating effects of resilience and positive self-esteem. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and nonprobabilistic study was conducted with 383 participants. We unveiled significant positive associations between perceived security, self-concept, resilience, and positive self-esteem. Path analysis demonstrated that resilience and positive self-esteem sequentially mediate the relationship between perceived security during childhood and adult self-concept. Findings suggest that the ability to cope with adversity and personal acceptance underlie the impact of perceived security on self-concept. It is recommended to promote family intervention programs framed within positive parenting that focus on fostering secure attachment given its influence on adult life. It is also deemed essential to incorporate the promotion of resilience and self-esteem into programs aimed at youths, and adult role models can enhance their self-perception and resilience in the face of potential effects stemming from insecure parenting practices.

Keywords: attachment; positive parenting; resilience; security; self-concept; self-esteem.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sequential mediation model of resilience and positive self-esteem in the relationship between perceived security and self-concept. Notes: Indirect effect through resilience (a1*b1, b = 0.03, SE = 0.01, CI 95% [0.015, 0.054]; indirect effect through positive self-esteem (a2*b2, b = 0.05, SE = 0.01, CI 95% [0.030, 0.079]; indirect effect through perceived security and resilience (a1*d12*b2, b = 0.02, SE = 0.01 CI 95% [0.013, 0.039]. *** p < 0.001.
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References

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Grants and funding

This work was carried out by the Recognized Research Group with code 385, Inclusive Education, Society, and Family, at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

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