Aksarapak LucktongTatiana Taylor SalisburyAphichat ChamratrithirongLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineMahidol UniversityKing's College London2019-08-282019-08-282018-04-03International Journal of Adolescence and Youth. Vol.23, No.2 (2018), 235-249026738432-s2.0-85019742974https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/47415© 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Secure attachment in childhood and adolescence is important to psychological well-being throughout the life span. This cross-sectional study examines the importance of attachment (i.e. parents, peers and school) and self-esteem on the psychological well-being (i.e. total psychological difficulties, externalizing problems, internalizing problems, prosocial behaviours and life satisfaction) among 1360 adolescents (aged 12–15 years) in a district of Central Thailand. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire during school hours. Path analyses investigated the significance of attachment on psychological well-being and the mediating role of self-esteem. Parental and peer attachment were negatively associated with total psychological difficulties, externalizing problems and internalizing problems, while parental and school attachment were positively associated with life satisfaction. More secure peer and school attachment were significantly associated with greater prosocial behaviours. Self-esteem was found to mediate the relationships between attachment and all domains of psychological well-being except prosocial behaviours.Mahidol UniversitySocial SciencesArticleSCOPUS10.1080/02673843.2017.1330698