Perceived support and relational conflict as mediators linking attachment orientations with depressive symptoms: A comparison of dating individuals from Hong Kong and the United States

• Attachment anxiety was related to perceived support among Americans and Chinese.
• Attachment avoidance was more strongly related to perceived support among Chinese.
• Relational conflict linked attachment anxiety and depression pan-culturally.
• Relational conflict linked attachment avoidance and depression among Chinese only.

This cross-sectional study investigates how perceived support and relational conflict mediate the associations of attachment orientations with depressive symptoms among 367 (153 Chinese, 214 American) dating individuals. Results revealed a pan-cultural association of attachment anxiety with depressive symptoms mediated though relational conflict. Attachment avoidance was more strongly related to depressive symptoms through relational conflict in the Chinese sample than in the U.S. sample. Furthermore, attachment anxiety was related to perceived support across both cultural samples, while attachment avoidance was more strongly related to perceived support in the Chinese sample than in the U.S. sample. Findings are discussed in terms of the cultural logics governing interpersonal relationships across cultures.