Tangled Start: The Link Between Childhood Abuse, Psychopathology, and Relationships in Adulthood

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105228

Commentary

Adults who experience childhood abuse are more likely to experience distrust, withdraw from others, and develop unstable attachment styles, which may affect the quality of their relationships.

This study was designed to investigate the extent to which childhood maltreatment is associated with unstable attachment and intimate relationships in adults, and whether this association is mediated by psychopathology. Two hundred and thirty-five adults, aged 18-65 years, were studied using the Depression Symptom Inventory-Self-Report, Beck Anxiety Index, and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test.

The path model showed an acceptable fit, RMSEA = .05, and showed a closer relationship quality to full suggestion mediation depression severity and of the association between anxiety attachment and child abuse. Anxiety and alcoholism severity were not important mediators. The conclusion is that childhood maltreatment is associated with poorer intimate relationship quality and is fully mediated by depression severity and unstable attachment styles.