Individual differences in attachment and eating pathology: The mediating role of mindfulness

Attachment insecurity is related to many forms of psychopathology, including eating pathology. However, remarkably little is known as to the more specific underlying cognitive and emotional processes that may explain why attachment insecurity places individuals at greater risk of eating pathology. In the present research, we examined whether mindfulness is one mechanism underlying the relationship between attachment insecurity and greater eating pathology in a sample of undergraduate females (Study 1) and a sample of women seeking treatment for eating pathology (Study 2). In both studies, there were indirect associations of both attachment anxiety and avoidance with increased eating pathology via lower mindfulness. The findings suggest that attachment insecurity is related to greater eating pathology due to a reduced capacity for mindfulness.