Article 2a: A tangled start: The link between childhood maltreatment, psychopathology, and relationships in adulthood (Shanab et al., 2021)

Question 1

Main results:

Answer 1

Childhood maltreatment is associated with a lower quality of intimate relationships, which is fully mediated by depression severity and insecure attachment (anxious and avoidant).

Question 2

Mechanism

Answer 2

Childhood maltreatment –> insecure attachment styles –> lower relationship quality.
Mediator: depression severity (not alcohol use or anxiety).

Question 3

Depression as a mediator (on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and relationship quality)

Answer 3

1. Childhood maltreatment –> depressive symptoms –> being more dependent and unconfident –> clingier and more relationship distress –> negative effect on relationship quality.
2. Childhood maltreatment –> more depression severity and avoidant attachment –> direct association with lower quality of relationship (difficulty with trusting, turning away from intimacy).