The Psychological Maltreatment Review (PMR): Initial Reliability and Association with Insecure Attachment in Adults

Abstract

A new instrument, the Psychological Maltreatment Review (PMR), is introduced and its psychometrics are described. The PMR examines adult retrospective reports of child psychological abuse, psychological neglect, and psychological support, measured separately for maternal and paternal figures. Male and female participants (N = 1,051) completed the PMR and a measure of adult attachment, the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships scale (Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000). The three scales of the PMR demonstrated very good internal consistency. The structural validity of the PMR was supported by both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as was the notion of an independent parental support/nonsupport variable. Indicative of the construct validity of this measure, all PMR scales were significantly correlated with anxious and avoidant attachment in close relationships. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that paternal neglect and maternal psychological abuse predicted participants' anxious attachment, whereas less paternal and maternal support was associated with avoidant attachment.

Keywords:

• adult survivors
• assessment
• child abuse
• child maltreatment
• child neglect
• psychological trauma

Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by funding awarded to Marsha Runtz from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the University of Victoria and awarded to Natacha Godbout by the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec. Natacha Godbout is now at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.