Childhood Abuse and Positive and Negative Relationship Quality in Women: The Role of Depression
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2020
School
Child and Family Studies
Abstract
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. published by Cambridge University Press. The interpersonal nature of childhood abuse has led researchers to examine how abuse in childhood is associated with the quality of adult women's romantic relationships. Depression is one pathway by which childhood abuse may be associated with relationship quality. The current study considers whether childhood abuse is linked to positive and negative relationship quality through depressive symptoms. Data were obtained from women participating in the Longitudinal Study of Childhood Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN; N = 544) and were analysed using structural equation modelling. Results indicate a significant indirect effect from childhood abuse to both positive and negative quality through women's depressive symptoms. The indirect effect from abuse to negative relationship quality through depression was significantly larger than positive relationship quality. These results suggest that childhood abuse and subsequent depressive symptoms has a twofold effect on women's romantic relationships.
Publication Title
Journal of Relationships Research
Recommended Citation
Fitzgerald, M.,
Ledermann, T.,
Grzywacz, J.,
Hamstra, C.
(2020). Childhood Abuse and Positive and Negative Relationship Quality in Women: The Role of Depression. Journal of Relationships Research.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/18280