Long-term effects of childhood emotional abuse and neglect on adulthood interpersonal functioning and emotional regulation
- WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Annabel O. Franz (Creator)
- Institution
- Western Carolina University (WCU )
- Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
- Advisor
- David Solomon
Abstract: Emotional abuse and neglect are less studied than more overt forms of abuse, yet are found to have myriad deleterious outcomes. Childhood emotional abuse and emotional neglect are also often combined into one emotional maltreatment construct in the literature; however, the different nature of these two forms of abuse suggest it is it is important to tease these subtypes apart to determine differential impacts on adulthood. This study examines how emotional abuse and neglect predict additional variance in emotional dysregulation and interpersonal problems above and beyond what is already accounted for by other forms of childhood abuse. It was hypothesized that these two forms of abuse would predict emotional dysregulation above and beyond what is accounted for by other forms of maltreatment. It was hypothesized that emotional neglect would be more predictive of detachment behaviors whereas emotional neglect would be more predictive of hostile dominant behaviors. Participants (n = 219) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory – 3. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine if emotional abuse and neglect predicted interpersonal problems and emotional dysregulation above and beyond physical abuse, physical neglect and sexual abuse. Results suggest that emotional abuse, specifically emotional neglect, predict additional variance in interpersonal detachment above and beyond the other forms of abuse. Emotional abuse and neglect did not contribute anything meaningful to the model predicting hostile dominant behaviors, likely because physical abuse consumed most of the variance. Emotional abuse and neglect, specifically abuse, accounted for additional variance in emotional dysregulation above and beyond the other forms of abuse. Bivariate correlations shed further light on the distinction between abuse and neglect in their associations with varied adulthood problems. Findings highlight the significance of these two forms of abuse on adulthood functioning and the importance of research and clinical practice continuing to distinguish emotional abuse versus emotional neglect.
Long-term effects of childhood emotional abuse and neglect on adulthood interpersonal functioning and emotional regulation
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Created on 8/1/2022
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2022
- Keywords
- emotional abuse, emotional maltreatment, emotional neglect, emotional regulation
- Subjects
- Psychological abuse
- Psychological child abuse
- Child abuse
- Psychologically abused children