39 The Professional Counselor™ Volume 13, Issue 1, Pages 39–54 http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org © 2023 NBCC, Inc. and Affiliates doi: 10.15241/cbs.13.1.39 Claudette Brown-Smythe, Shirin Sultana Examining Social Self-Efficacy as a Mediator for Insecure Attachment and Loneliness We examined the extent to which anxious attachment and avoidant attachment predicted loneliness and social self-efficacy among 863 college students. Further, we investigated whether social self-efficacy mediated the relationships between the two insecure attachment styles and loneliness. Pearson correlations and regression analysis showed that anxious and avoidant attachment styles were significant predictors of loneliness and social self-efficacy. Mediation analysis revealed that social self-efficacy fully mediated the relationship between avoidant attachment and loneliness and partially mediated the relationship between anxious attachment and loneliness. Implications for college counseling are discussed, and we propose recommendations for counselors to enhance social self-efficacy and attachment security to decrease loneliness. Keywords: social self-efficacy, anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, loneliness, attachment security Existential philosophers, as well as counseling theorists, have alluded to loneliness as a common human condition, one that can lead to mental health challenges like depression and anxiety (Sharf, 2012). Researchers began calling attention to the increase in loneliness across the life span (Cacioppo et al., 2015; Diehl et al., 2018; Mushtaq et al., 2014) prior to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and the subsequent declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the outbreak was a public health emergency of international concern (Pan American Health Organization, 2020). In 2015, Vivek Murthy (2020), then surgeon general of the United States, identified loneliness as a public health issue, endemic across all ages and socioeconomic groups. As of 2019, three out of every five people, or 61% of the U.S. population, reported feeling lonely, which was a 7% increase from 2018 (Cigna, 2020). Isolation then surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed to loneliness (Dahlberg, 2021; Holt-Lunstad, 2020). The Cigna (2020) report noted that 49.9% of emerging adults 18–22 years old and 47.7% of adults 23–37 years old reported feeling lonely. Moreover, the American College Health Association (2017) reported that 64% of college students experienced loneliness, which aligns with the Healthy Minds Study results indicating that 66% of college students struggled with loneliness (Eisenberg et al., 2020). Again, these figures predate the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, and rates of loneliness experienced because of the lockdown and restrictions during that time are projected to increase (Dahlberg, 2021; Holt-Lunstad, 2020). As the preceding data demonstrate, loneliness is a special concern for the college-age population. Moreover, loneliness is a human challenge that if left unattended can lead to and exacerbate mental health issues. Like Bandura (1977), we believe that individuals who possess strong social self-efficacy can motivate themselves to build connections and engage with others and reduce feelings of loneliness. This study sought to examine the extent to which social self-efficacy serves as a mediator of the two insecure attachment styles on loneliness. Claudette Brown-Smythe, PhD, NCC, ACS, LMHC, CRC, is an assistant professor at SUNY Brockport. Shirin Sultana, PhD, MSS, MSSW, is an assistant professor at SUNY Brockport. Correspondence may be addressed to Claudette Brown-Smythe, 350 New Campus Drive, Brockport, NY 14420, cbrownsm@brockport.edu.
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