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Childhood Abuse and Positive and Negative Relationship Quality in Women: The Role of Depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2020

Michael Fitzgerald Open the ORCID record for Michael Fitzgerald [Opens in a new window] ,
Thomas Ledermann ,
Joseph G. Grzywacz  and
Cailyn Hamstra
Michael Fitzgerald*
Affiliation:
School of Child and Family Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA
Thomas Ledermann
Affiliation:
Department of Family and Child Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Joseph G. Grzywacz
Affiliation:
Department of Family and Child Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Cailyn Hamstra
Affiliation:
Department of Teacher Education, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
*
Address for correspondence: Michael Fitzgerald, 207 Joseph Greene Hall, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA. Email: Michael.C.Fitzgerald@usm.edu
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Abstract

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.

Keywords

childhood abusedepressionmediationrelationship qualityromantic relationships
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Relationships Research , Volume 11 , 2020 , e14
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. published by Cambridge University Press

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