The role of hope as a mediator in recollected parenting, adult attachment, and mental health

Because having hope is requisite for the establishment of satisfying adulthoods, factors contributing to its development must be understood. Using structural equation modeling, the current study tested propositions that hope (1) develops in the context of a secure relationship with a supportive adult in childhood (Snyder, 1994), and (2) mediates the relationship between developmental processes and adult mental health outcomes. There was a good fit of the data to the hypothesized model. Adult attachment mediated the relationship between parenting and hope, and hope partially mediated the relationship between attachment and mental health. The developmental trajectory of hope is discussed as it relates to parenting and attachment, and a tripartite approach is suggested for developing primary and tertiary interventions for at-risk youth.