Child Maltreatment and Subjective Well-being in Chinese Emerging Adults: A Process Model Involving Self-esteem and Self-compassion

Abstract

Child maltreatment is negatively associated with subjective well-being in emerging adulthood, but the understanding of the mechanisms of this relationship is incomplete. Guided by the stress process model incorporated with a life-course perspective, the present study examined the protective roles of self-related resources (self-esteem and self-compassion) in this association, while considering various maltreatment types (physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Self-compassion Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale were used to measure the key variables through an online survey of 358 Chinese college students (226 females, mean age = 19.18) Direct effect of one type of maltreatment on life satisfaction and the three indirect effects through (a) self-esteem; (b) self-compassion; and (c) self-esteem and self-compassion in sequence were examined while controlling for age, gender, and the other four maltreatment types. The results showed that psychological maltreatment was negatively associated with life satisfaction through self-esteem and through the pathway from self-esteem to self-compassion. Indirect effects of the other three types of maltreatment were not significant. This suggests that self-processes are more vulnerable to psychological maltreatment than to other maltreatment types. The type of maltreatment experienced in childhood is worth considering when investigating the extending effect of child maltreatment on individual developmental outcomes. Our findings broaden the understanding of the mechanisms of the stress process model integrated with a life-course perspective. Self-related resources appear to play substantial roles in the long-term association between early stressors of psychological maltreatment in childhood and subjective well-being in emerging adulthood. Highlighting the need to work on improved self-related resources, including self-compassion and self-esteem, might help practitioners to provide treatment for survivors of adverse childhood experiences..

The Association between Differentiation of Self and Life Satisfaction among Chinese Emerging Adults: The Mediating Effect of Hope and Coping Strategies and the Moderating Effect of Child Maltreatment History

“…Nevertheless, the majority of current studies regarding child maltreatment were conducted in developed countries, and more research efforts from developing countries are needed [ 29 ]. The most recent estimates of child abuse and neglect exposure among Chinese youth ranged from 20% to 47% [ 30 , 31 ], which was comparable to other nations’ estimates [ 32 ]. It is critical to research the lived experiences of Chinese youth who have been maltreated, as well as the long-term effects of maltreatment on their adult well-being.…”

“…The current study also hypothesized that (3) participants who were maltreated during childhood would exhibit lower levels of DoS, hope, positive coping strategies, and life satisfaction, as well as higher levels of negative coping strategies; and (4) the mediating effects would be different between participants who were maltreated during childhood and their counterparts who were never maltreated. Given the consistent findings in the literature regarding the relationship between self-esteem and childhood psychological maltreatment, as well as subjective well-being among Chinese emerging adults [ 32 , 33 ], in the current study, we included self-esteem as a control variable.…”

Childhood Maltreatment and Life Satisfaction in Chinese Student Preschool Teachers: The Roles of Resilience and Social Support

“…Specifically, physical and emotional maltreatment were negatively associated with later life satisfaction, social support, and resilience, which is consistent with previous studies [ 55 , 56 , 57 ]. Individuals who have experienced childhood maltreatment, including physical and emotional maltreatment, may have biased internal working models of interpersonal relationships [ 58 ], which may contribute to low levels of resilience and social support. Similarly, childhood maltreatment, as one adverse childhood experience, may have negative effects on individuals’ attributions [ 59 ], which may lead to low levels of life satisfaction.…”

Reauthoring: The lived experience of cumulative harm and its influence on career choice

“…Turner et al (2017) revealed a connection between polyvictimisation and lower levels of self-esteem, suggesting that individuals who experience victimisation in differing or repeated forms will reflect appraisals of others that they are unworthy or disliked, which becomes a key message in their self-regard. Self-blame, low perceived personal control and a low working model of self due to trauma experiences were identified in individuals who had experienced multiple forms of childhood trauma (Turner et al, 2017;Wu et al, 2021). Some research into the impact of trauma on identity formation refers to possible selves and who the person could have been if not for their experience of childhood trauma.…”