Perceived family support as a double-edged sword: A moderated mediation model of attachment on spiritual well-being among Chinese older adults

Spiritual well-being is increasingly recognized as a critical component of healthy aging, yet its associations with adult attachment remain underexplored, particularly among Chinese older adults. This study examined a moderated mediator model which social self-efficacy played a mediating role in the relationship between attachment and spiritual well-being and perceived family support could moderate this mediation model. Data were collected from 459 older adults in Henan Province, China. Results revealed that attachment anxiety and avoidance negatively predicted spiritual well-being, and these associations were partially mediated by social self-efficacy. Moreover, family support moderated the link between attachment and social self-efficacy. Under conditions of higher family support, the mediation of social self-efficacy in the relation from attachment avoidance to spiritual well-being was significant, whereas under conditions of low family support, the mediation of social self-efficacy in the relation from attachment anxiety to spiritual well-being was significant. These findings suggest that social self-efficacy may play a critical mediating role in the relationship between attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and spiritual well-being among older adults. The observed differential mediation effects under varying levels of family support highlight the importance of considering family support contexts in future intervention research targeting spiritual well-being in this population.