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ABSTRACT
Child abuse affects people’s ways of thinking, feeling, and observing the world, resulting in dysfunctional beliefs and maladaptive schemas. Thus, consequences of child abuse may persist during adulthood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the psychological consequences (anxiety, phobic anxiety, depression, and hopelessness) of different types of maltreatment (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and physical and emotional neglect) and to study the role of early maladaptive schemas in the onset of symptomatology in adult female victims of child abuse. The sample consisted of 75 women referred by associations for treatment of abuse and maltreatment in childhood. Sexual abuse was the type of maltreatment that was most strongly related to most dysfunctional symptomatology, followed by emotional abuse and physical abuse, whereas physical neglect was the least related. Also, early maladaptive schemas were found to correlate with child abuse and dysfunctional symptomatology. Finally, early maladaptive schemas mediated the relationship between sexual abuse and dysfunctional symptomatology when the effect of other types of abuse was controlled. These results may provide important guidance for clinical intervention.
Acknowledgements
This study was carried out with the collaboration of the associations Garaitza and ASPASI and the effort of this project’s users.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Ana Estévez
Ana Estévez. Senior lecturer of Psychology at the University of Deusto. Head of Master of General Health Psychology.
Paula Jauregui
Paula Jauregui. PhD in Psychology. Lecturer of the Faculty of Psychology in the university of Deusto. Researcher on cognitive and emotional processes and its relationship with psychological disorders, especially in the field of addictive behaviors.
Nagore Ozerinjauregi
Nagore Ozerinjauregi, PhD in Psychology. Lecturer at the Department of “Teaching and School Organization” at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU. Researcher on inclusion in the educational field and on situations of lack of protection and social risk.
David Herrero-Fernández
David Herrero-Fernández, PhD in Psychology. Lecturer of the School of Teaching at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Researcher on Traffic Psychology, especially on anger, aggression and risky behaviors, and on Psychophysiology related to several fields of knowledge.