Attachment Styles, Self-Esteem, and Coping strategies as predictors of Quarter Life Crisis

Abstract

While the mid-life crisis has long been a widely recognized phenomenon, often depicted as a significant turning point for individuals in their 40s and 50s, the concept of the quarter-life crisis has only recently gained traction in both academic research and popular culture. Why is it that the emotional upheavals of mid-life are so universally accepted, while the struggles of emerging adults remain underexplored? Could it be that we expect 25-year-olds to have everything figured out in a world that grows more uncertain by the day? Shouldn’t we be giving more attention to this phase of life? This study set out to determine to what extent attachment styles (anxious, avoidant, secure), self- esteem, and coping strategies (problem-focused, emotion-focused, avoidant) predicted symptoms of the quarter-life crisis in a non-clinical population of emerging adults. Two hundred and eleven participants completed four questionnaires: the Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire (Hazan & Shaver, 1987) Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg: 1965), Brief COPE Scale (Carver, 1987), and the Developmental Crisis Questionnaire 12 (Robinson, 2013). Regression analyses revealed that anxious and avoidant attachment styles were significant predictors of quarter-life crisis symptoms, with positive associations to dimensions such as disconnection, distress, and lack of clarity. Secure attachment, in contrast, showed no significant impact. Self-esteem demonstrated weak, non-significant correlations with quarter-life crisis symptoms. Among coping strategies, emotion-focused and avoidant coping were significantly linked to higher levels of distress and disconnection, while problem-focused coping showed weaker associations.