Collectivistic Values and Emotional Abuse in Romantic Relationships: The Mediating Role of Internalized Help-Seeking Stigma and the Influence of Dependability

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine whether internalized stigma for seeking psychological help mediates the association between collectivistic values and emotional abuse in romantic relationships, while controlling for partner dependability. Data were collected in February and May 2025 from a nationally representative U.S. community sample recruited via Prolific. Participants (n = 483) who had been in a romantic relationship during the past year completed the Collectivism Subscale of the Cultural Values Scale, the Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help, the Emotional Abuse Subscale of the Checklist of Controlling Behaviors, and the Dependability Subscale of the Trust Scale. Structural Equation Modeling with bootstrapping was used to test the hypothesized mediation model. Collectivistic values were positively associated with internalized stigma for seeking help (β = .125, p = .020), and internalized stigma for seeking help was positively associated with emotional abuse victimization (β = .174, p = .001). The indirect effect of collectivism on emotional abuse victimization through internalized stigma for seeking help was small but significant (β = .022, 95% CI [0.002, 0.049]). The direct effect of collectivism on emotional abuse victimization was negative and nonsignificant (β = −.093, p = .064). Dependability showed a small positive association with emotional abuse victimization (β = .065, p = .031). Findings indicate that internalized stigma for seeking psychological help is a mechanism linking collectivistic values to emotional abuse victimization in romantic relationships. Addressing stigma and self-blame in culturally sensitive interventions may reduce the risk of emotional abuse and promote healthier conflict resolution in collectivistic contexts.