Childhood Emotional Maltreatment and Adulthood Romantic Relationship Well-Being: A Multilevel,Meta-Analytic Review

Abstract

During the past decade, research on the link between childhood emotional maltreatment and adulthood romantic relationship well-being has been accumulating, but there still lacks a systematic, quantitative evaluation of existing research. This three-level, meta-analysis aimed to fill this gap. Reports were included if they examined the link between early emotional maltreatment and adulthood romantic relationship well-being, presented statistics needed to calculate at least one bivariate effect size, written in English, and published/written before January 1, 2020. We retrieved 201 effect sizes from 23 reports. Early emotional maltreatment (aggregated across forms) was negatively (yet modestly) associated with later romantic relationship well-being (aggregated across dimensions; r = −.143, 95% confidence interval [−.173, −.114], p < .001). This association did not vary as a function of maltreatment form but differed across relationship well-being dimensions, such that the effect was stronger for the negative than for the positive relationship outcomes. We also found that (a) the actor effect was larger than the partner effect, (b) the effect was stronger in studies using Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) than in studies not using CTQ, (c) whether using established measures of relationship well-being did not alter the effect, (d) the absolute magnitude of effect was negatively associated with methodological rigor of effect, and (e) the effect did not vary as functions of publication type, whether the sample was a college student sample, or union status, and was not related to the mean of union duration. Last, the limitations of existing research, avenues for future inquiries, and implications for practice were noted.

Keywords

romantic relationship well-being childhood emotional maltreatment emotional abuse emotional neglect meta-analysis

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Afifi

T. O.

MacMillan

H. L.

(2011). Resilience following child maltreatment: A review of protective factors. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56, 266–272. https://doi.org/101177/070674371105600505

Assink

Wibbelink

C. J.

(2016). Fitting three-level meta-analytic models in R: A step-by-step tutorial. The Quantitative Methods for Psychology, 12, 154–174. https://doi.org/1020982/tqmp.12.3.p154

Barlow

Horwath

Woodman

Turnell

Kennedy

Gorin

Bunn

Allnock

McAllister

(2016). Tackling child neglect: Research, policy and evidence-based practice. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Bernstein

D. P.

Fink

Handelsman

Foote

Lovejoy

Wenzel

Sapareto

Ruggiero

(1994). Initial reliability and validity of a new retrospective measure of child abuse and neglect. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 1132–1136. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.151.8.1132

Bernstein

D. P.

Stein

J. A.

Newcomb

M. D.

Walker

Pogge

Ahluvalia

Stokes

Handelsman

Medrano

Desmond

Zule

(2003). Development and validation of a brief screening version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Child Abuse & Neglect, 27, 169–190. https://doi.org/101016/S0145-2134(02)00541-0

*Bigras

Godbout

Hébert

Runtz

Daspe

M. È.

(2015). Identity and relatedness as mediators between child emotional abuse and adult couple adjustment in women. Child Abuse & Neglect, 50, 85–93. https://doi.org/101016/j.chiabu.2015.07.009

Borenstein

Hedges

Higgins

Rothstein

H. R.

(2009). Introduction to meta-analysis. Wiley.

Boyce

C. A.

Maholmes

(2013). Attention to the neglected: Prospects for research on child neglect for the next decade. Child Maltreatment, 18, 65–68. https://doi.org/101177/1077559513480426

*Bradbury

L. L.

Shaffer

(2012). Emotion dysregulation mediates the link between childhood emotional maltreatment and young adult romantic relationship satisfaction. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 21, 497–515. https://doi.org/101080/10926771.2012.678466

10.

Bremner

J. D.

Bolus

Mayer

E. A.

(2007). Psychometric properties of the early trauma inventory-self report. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 195, 211–218. https://doi.org/101097/01.nmd.0000243824.84651.6c

11.

Briere

Runtz

(1988). Multivariate correlates of childhood psychological and physical maltreatment among university women. Child Abuse & Neglect, 12, 331–341. https://doi.org/101016/0145-2134(88)90046-4

12.

Briere

Runtz

(1990). Differential adult symptomatology associated with three types of child abuse histories. Child Abuse & Neglect, 14, 357–364. https://doi.org/101016/0145-2134(90)90007-G

13.

Cao

Liang

Zhu

Liu

Jiang

Zhou

Zhang

(2020). Childhood maltreatment and affective symptoms and severity of drug addiction among Chinese male drug users: Variable-centered and person-centered approaches. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/101080/10926771.2020.1796874

14.

Cao

Zhou

Fine

Liang

Mills-Koonce

W. R.

(2017). Sexual minority stress and same-sex relationship well-being: A meta-analysis of research prior to the US Nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family, 79, 1258–1277. https://doi.org/101111/jomf.12415

15.

*Cates

(2017). The association of childhood adversities and abuse on marital functioning: A longitudinal secondary analysis study [Master’s thesis]. Cornell University.

16.

Cheung

M. W. L.

(2014). Modeling dependent effect sizes with three-level meta-analyses: A structural equation modeling approach. Psychological Methods, 19, 211–229. https://doi.org/101037/a0032968

17.

Cheung

M. W. L.

(2015). Meta-analysis: A structural equation modeling approach. John Wiley & Sons.

18.

Cicchetti

(2013). Annual research review: Resilient functioning in maltreated children–past, present, and future perspectives. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54, 402–422. https://doi.org/101111/j.1469-7610.2012.02608.x

19.

Cochran

W. G.

(1954). The combination of estimates from different experiments. Biometrics, 10, 101–129. https://doi.org/102307/3001666

20.

Cohen

(1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

21.

Collishaw

Pickles

Messer

Rutter

Shearer

Maughan

(2007). Resilience to adult psychopathology following childhood maltreatment: Evidence from a community sample. Child Abuse & Neglect, 31, 211–229. https://doi.org/101016/j.chiabu.2007.02.004

22.

Crohan

S. E.

Veroff

(1989). Dimensions of marital well-being among White and Black newlyweds. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 51, 373–383. https://doi.org/102307/352500

23.

Danese

Baldwin

J. R.

(2017). Hidden wounds? Inflammatory links between childhood trauma and psychopathology. Annual Review of Psychology, 68, 517–544. https://doi.org/101146/annurev-psych-010416-044208

24.

*Dass

P. A.

(1995). The impact of childhood maltreatment on the ability to form effective adult relationships [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Virginia.

25.

Davis

J. L.

Petretic-Jackson

P. A.

Ting

(2001). Intimacy dysfunction and trauma symptomatology: Long-term correlates of different types of child abuse. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14, 63–79. https://doi.org/101023/A:1007835531614

26.

*DiLillo

Peugh

Walsh

Panuzio

Trask

Evans

(2009). Child maltreatment history among newlywed couples: A longitudinal study of marital outcomes and mediating pathways. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77, 680–692. https://doi.org/101037/a0015708

27.

Doyle

D. M.

Molix

(2015). Social stigma and sexual minorities’ romantic relationship functioning: A meta-analytic review. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41, 1363–1381. https://doi.org/101177/0146167215594592

28.

Druckman

J. N.

Kam

C. D.

(2011). Students as experimental participants. In Druckman

J. N.

Green

D. P.

Kuklinski

J. H.

Lupia

(Eds.). Cambridge handbook of experimental political science (pp. 41–57). Cambridge.

29.

Dush

C. M. K.

Amato

P. R.

(2005). Consequences of relationship status and quality for subjective well-being. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 22, 607–627. https://doi.org/101177/0265407505056438

30.

Fletcher

G. O.

Simpson

J. A.

Thomas

(2000). The measurement of perceived relationship quality components: A confirmatory factor analytic approach. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 340–354. https://doi.org/101177/0146167200265007

31.

*Franz

A. O.

(2015). Childhood psychological abuse and neglect, personality traits and adulthood relationship quality [Master’s thesis]. Western Carolina University.

32.

Godbout

Vaillancourt-Morel

M. P.

Bigras

Briere

Hébert

Runtz

Sabourin

(2019). Intimate partner violence in male survivors of child maltreatment: A meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 20, 99–113. https://doi.org/101177/1524838017692382

33.

Grych

J. H.

(2002). Marital relationships and parenting. In Bornstein

M. H.

(Ed.), Handbook of parenting (pp. 203–226). Lawrence Erlbaum.

34.

Hardt

Rutter

(2004). Validity of adult retrospective reports of adverse childhood experiences: Review of the evidence. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 260–273. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00218.x

35.

Harold

G. T.

Sellers

(2018). Annual research review: Interparental conflict and youth psychopathology: An evidence review and practice focused update. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 59, 374–402. https://doi.org/101111/jcpp.12893

36.

Hendrick

S. S.

Dicke

Hendrick

(1998). The relationship assessment scale. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 15, 137–142. https://doi.org/101177/0265407598151009

37.

Higgins

Green

(2011). Analysing data and undertaking meta-analyses. The Cochrane Library (Version 5.1.0). Wiley.

38.

Higgins

Thompson

Deeks

Altman

(2003). Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses. British Medical Journal, 327, 557–560. https://doi.org/101136/bmj.327.7414.557

39.

Holt-Lunstad

Birmingham

Jones

B. Q.

(2008). Is there something unique about marriage? The relative impact of marital status, relationship quality, and network social support on ambulatory blood pressure and mental health. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 35, 239–244. https://doi.org/101007/s12160-008-9018-y

40.

Homburg

Klarmann

Totzek

(2012). Using multi-informant designs to address key informant and common method bias. In Diamantopoulos

Fritz

Hildebrandt

(Eds.), Quantitative marketing and marketing management (pp. 81–102). Gabler Verlag.

41.

Hunter

J. E.

Schmidt

F. L.

(1990). Dichotomization of continuous variables: The implications for meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75, 334–349. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.75.3.334

42.

Hunter

J. E.

Schmidt

F. L.

(2004). Methods of meta-analysis: Correcting for error and bias in research findings. SAGE.

43.

Hussey

J. M.

Chang

J. J.

Kotch

J. B.

(2006). Child maltreatment in the United States: Prevalence, risk factors, and adolescent health consequences. Pediatrics, 118, 933–942. https://doi.org/101542/peds.2005-2452

44.

Infurna

M. R.

Reichl

Parzer

Schimmenti

Bifulco

Kaess

(2016). Associations between depression and specific childhood experiences of abuse and neglect: A meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 190, 47–55. https://doi.org/101016/j.jad.2015.09.006

45.

Jüni

Altman

D. G.

Egger

(2001). Systematic reviews in health care: Assessing the quality of controlled clinical trials. British Medical Journal, 323, 42–46. https://doi.org/101136/bmj.323.7303.42

46.

Karney

B. R.

Bradbury

T. N.

(1995). The longitudinal course of marital quality and stability: A review of theory, method, and research. Psychological Bulletin, 118, 3–34. https://doi.org/101037/0033-2909.118.1.3

47.

Karney

B. R.

Bradbury

T. N.

(2005). Contextual influences on marriage: Implications for policy and intervention. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 171–174. https://doi.org/101111/j.0963-7214.2005.00358.x

48.

*Kim

S. Y.

(2004). Korean women’s experience of child abuse and its relationship with interpersonal functioning [Doctoral dissertation]. Boston University.

49.

Konstantopoulos

(2011). Fixed effects and variance components estimation in three-level meta-analysis. Research Synthesis Methods, 2, 61–76. https://doi.org/101002/jrsm.35

50.

Kubiak

S. P.

(2005). Trauma and cumulative adversity in women of a disadvantaged social location. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 75, 451–465. https://doi.org/101037/0002-9432.75.4.451

51.

Kuppens

Laurent

Heyvaert

Onghena

(2013). Associations between parental psychological control and relational aggression in children and adolescents: A multilevel and sequential meta-analysis. Developmental Psychology, 49, 1697–1712. https://doi.org/101037/a0030740

52.

*Lassri

Luyten

Cohen

Shahar

(2016). The effect of childhood emotional maltreatment on romantic relationships in young adulthood: A double mediation model involving self-criticism and attachment. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 8, 504–511. https://doi.org/101037/tra0000134

53.

*Lassri

Shahar

(2012). Self-criticism mediates the link between childhood emotional maltreatment and young adults’ romantic relationships. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 31, 289–311. https://doi.org/101521/jscp.2012.31.3.289

54.

*Liu

Wang

Shi

(2018). Dyadic analysis of childhood emotional maltreatment and marital satisfaction during the transition to parenthood: The mediating effects of emotion regulation strategies and psychological distress. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/101080/10926771.2018.1466381

55.

LoCascio

Infurna

M. R.

Guarnaccia

Mancuso

Bifulco

Giannone

(2018). Does childhood psychological abuse contribute to intimate partner violence victimization? An investigation using the childhood experience of care and abuse interview. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/101177/0886260518794512

56.

Maisel

N. C.

Karney

B. R.

(2012). Socioeconomic status moderates associations among stressful events, mental health, and relationship satisfaction. Journal of Family Psychology, 26, 654–660. https://doi.org/101037/a0028901

57.

*Maneta

E. K.

Cohen

Schulz

M. S.

Waldinger

R. J.

(2015). Linkages between childhood emotional abuse and marital satisfaction: The mediating role of empathic accuracy for hostile emotions. Child Abuse & Neglect, 44, 8–17 https://doi.org/101016/j.chiabu.2014.07.017

58.

Manly

J. T.

Cicchetti

Barnett

(1994). The impact of subtype, frequency, chronicity, and severity of child maltreatment on social competence and behavior problems. Development and Psychopathology, 6, 121–143. https://doi.org/101017/S0954579400005915

59.

Marsh

H. W.

Bornmann

Mutz

Daniel

O’Mara

(2009). Gender effects in the peer reviews of grant proposals: A comprehensive meta-analysis comparing traditional and multilevel approaches. Review of Educational Research, 79, 1290–1326. https://doi.org/103102/0034654309334143

60.

*McCreery

(2009). Experience and age at first experience of child maltreatment in relation to relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction [Doctoral dissertation]. Northern Illinois University.

61.

McCrory

De Brito

S. A.

Viding

(2010). Research review: The neurobiology and genetics of maltreatment and adversity. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51, 1079–1095. https://doi.org/101111/j.1469-7610.2010.02271.x

62.

McSherry

(2007). Understanding and addressing the “neglect of neglect”: Why are we making a mole-hill out of a mountain. Child Abuse & Neglect, 31, 607–614. https://doi.org/101016/j.chiabu.2006.08.011

63.

Meyer

I. H.

Schwartz

Frost

D. M.

(2008). Social patterning of stress and coping: Does disadvantaged social statuses confer more stress and fewer coping resources? Social Science & Medicine, 67, 368–379. https://doi.org/101016/j.socscimed.2008.03.012

64.

Neff

L. A.

Karney

B. R.

(2007). Stress crossover in newlywed marriage: A longitudinal and dyadic perspective. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69, 594–607. https://doi.org/101111/j.1741-3737.2007.00394.x

65.

Nelson

C. A.

III Gabard-Durnam

L. J.

(2020). Early adversity and critical periods: Neurodevelopmental consequences of violating the expectable environment. Trends in Neurosciences, 43, 133–143. https://doi.org/101016/j.tins.2020.01.002

66.

Norton

(1983). Measuring marital quality: A critical look at the dependent variable. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 141–151. https://doi.org/102307/351302

67.

*Paradis

Boucher

(2010). Child maltreatment history and interpersonal problems in adult couple relationships. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19, 138–158. https://doi.org/101080/10926770903539433

68.

*Perry

A. R.

(2008). Child maltreatment and adult outcomes: The mediating role of adult attachment. [Doctoral dissertation]. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

69.

*Perry

A. R.

DiLillo

Peugh

(2007). Childhood psychological maltreatment and quality of marriage: The mediating role of psychological distress. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 7, 117–142. https://doi.org/101300/J135v07n02_07

70.

*Peterson

C. M.

Peugh

Loucks

Shaffer

(2018). Emotional maltreatment in family of origin and young adult romantic relationship satisfaction: A dyadic data analysis. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 35, 872–888. https://doi.org/101177/0265407517700300

71.

Peterson

R. A.

Brown

S. P.

(2005). On the use of beta coefficients in meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 175–181. https://doi.org/101037/0021-9010.90.1.175

72.

*Piazza

V. E.

(2013). Intervening factors in the impact of child maltreatment on marital satisfaction in older age [Doctoral dissertation]. Georgia State University.

73.

R Core Team. (2017). A language and environment for statistical computing. Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing. http://www.Rproject.org

74.

Reyome

N. D.

(2010). Childhood emotional maltreatment and later intimate relationships: Themes from the empirical literature. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19, 224–242. https://doi.org/101080/10926770903539664

75.

Riggs

S. A.

(2010). Childhood emotional abuse and the attachment system across the life cycle: What theory and research tell us. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19, 5–51. https://doi.org/101080/10926770903475968

76.

*Riggs

S. A.

Cusimano

A. M.

Benson

K. M.

(2011). Childhood emotional abuse and attachment processes in the dyadic adjustment of dating couples. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58, 126–138. https://doi.org/101037/a0021319

77.

*Riggs

S. A.

Kaminski

(2010). Childhood emotional abuse, adult attachment, and depression as predictors of relational adjustment and psychological aggression. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19, 75–104. https://doi.org/101080/10926770903475976

78.

Robles

T. F.

Slatcher

R. B.

Trombello

J. M.

McGinn

M. M.

(2014). Marital quality and health: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 140, 140–187. https://doi.org/101037/a0031859

79.

Scher

C. D.

Stein

M. B.

Asmundson

G. J.

McCreary

D. R.

Forde

D. R.

(2001). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire in a community sample: Psychometric properties and normative data. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14, 843–857. https://doi.org/101023/A:1013058625719

80.

Schramm

D. G.

Harris

S. M.

Whiting

J. B.

Hawkins

A. J.

Brown

Porter

(2013). Economic costs and policy implications associated with divorce: Texas as a case study. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 54, 1–24. https://doi.org/101080/10502556.2012.725354

81.

*Selby

E. A.

Braithwaite

S. R.

Joiner

T. E.

Jr Fincham

F. D.

(2008). Features of borderline personality disorder, perceived childhood emotional invalidation, and dysfunction within current romantic relationships. Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 885–893. https://doi.org/101037/a0013673

82.

Shadish

W. R.

Cook

T. D.

Campbell

D. T.

(2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Houghton Mifflin.

83.

Shadish

W. R.

Sweeney

R. B.

(1991). Mediators and moderators in meta-analysis: There’s a reason we don’t let dodo birds tell us which psychotherapies should have prizes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 883–893. https://doi.org/101037/0022-006X.59.6.883

84.

Spanier

G. B.

(1976). Dyadic adjustment scale (DAS): Manual. Multi-Health Systems.

85.

Spanier

G. B.

Lewis

R. A.

(1980). Marital quality: A review of the seventies. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 42, 825–839. https://doi.org/102307/351827

86.

Sprecher

(2002). Sexual satisfaction in premarital relationships: Associations with satisfaction, love, commitment, and stability. Journal of Sex Research, 39, 190–196. https://doi.org/101080/00224490209552141

87.

Stanley

S. M.

Whitton

S. W.

Markman

H. J.

(2004). Maybe I do: Interpersonal commitment and premarital or nonmarital cohabitation. Journal of Family Issues, 25, 496–519. https://doi.org/101177/0192513X03257797

88.

Stoltenborgh

Bakermans-Kranenburg

M. J.

Alink

L. R.

van IJzendoorn

M. H.

(2012). The universality of childhood emotional abuse: A meta-analysis of worldwide prevalence. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 21, 870–890. https://doi.org/101080/10926771.2012.708014

89.

Strauss

M. A.

(2007). Conflict tactics scales. In Jackson

N. A.

(Ed.), Encyclopedia of domestic violence (pp. 190–197). Taylor & Francis Group.

90.

Teicher

M. H.

Samson

J. A.

(2016). Annual research review: Enduring neurobiological effects of childhood abuse and neglect. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 57, 241–266. https://doi.org/101111/jcpp.12507

91.

*Thomas

B. C.

(2008. “The childhood shows the man, as morning shows the day”(Milton, 1671): Three essays on childhood maltreatment, current social relationships and physical health [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Michigan.

92.

Torgerson

C. J.

(2006). Publication bias: The Achilles’ heel of systematic reviews? British Journal of Educational Studies, 54, 89–102. https://doi.org/101111/j.1467-8527.2006.00332.x

93.

Totenhagen

C. J.

Curran

M. A.

Serido

Butler

E. A.

(2013). Good days, bad days: Do sacrifices improve relationship quality? Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30, 881–900. https://doi.org/101177/0265407512472475

94.

Van den Noortgate

López-López

J. A.

Marín-Martínez

Sánchez-Meca

(2013). Three-level meta-analysis of dependent effect sizes. Behavior Research Methods, 45, 576–594. https://doi.org/103758/s13428-012-0261-6

95.

Veroff

(1999). Commitment in the early years of marriage. In Adams

J. M.

Jones

W. H.

(Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal commitment and relationship stability (pp. 149–162). Kluwer Academic.

96.

Walker

Hernandez

A. V.

Kattan

M. W.

(2008). Meta-analysis: Its strengths and limitations. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 75, 431–439. https://doi.org/103949/ccjm.75.6.431

97.

Weymouth

B. B.

Buehler

Zhou

Henson

R. A.

(2016). A meta-analysis of parent–adolescent conflict: Disagreement, hostility, and youth maladjustment. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 8, 95–112. https://doi.org/101111/jftr.12126

98.

Wright

M. O. D.

(2014). Childhood emotional abuse: Mediating and moderating processes affecting long-term impact. Routledge.

99.

Yuan

Bentler

P. M.

(2002). On normal theory based inference for multilevel models with distributional violations. Psychometrika, 67, 539–562. https://doi.org/101007/BF0229513

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.33 MB