Adult attachment, psychological stress, and quality of life: insights into Italian veterinary medicine students’ mental health

Background: Veterinary medicine students face distinctive challenges, such as exposure to animal suffering and academic pressures, which can adversely affect their quality of life (QoL), particularly regarding mental health. Although the role of adult attachment in healthcare professionals’ QoL is well-documented in research, the potential mediating role of stress in this association has yet to be fully elucidated. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized self-report questionnaires to assess 926 Italian veterinary medicine students on adult attachment styles, stress, mental health QoL, lifetime mental-health issues, and demographics. Results: Descriptive results showed elevated levels of stress and reduced mental health QoL compared to normative samples. Regression analysis revealed various significant predictors of lower mental health QoL, including being a woman, advanced year of study, lifetime mental health issues, stress, and preoccupied and fearful attachment styles. Mediation analysis showed that stress partially mediated the negative associations between preoccupied and fearful attachment styles and mental health QoL. Conclusions: Psychological interventions for veterinary medicine students should address both stress and relationship difficulties, with attention to attachment-related vulnerabilities. These findings underscore the importance of comprehensive mental health support in veterinary education.