The Long Arm of Trauma During Childhood: Associations with Resources in Couple Relationships

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Intimate Partner Violence: Exploring Implications for Young Adults' Romantic Outlook

In the present study, we used data from a community sample of 442 American young adults ages 18 to 35 to explore the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), intimate partner violence (IPV), and young adults' romantic outlook (i.e., general attitude toward romantic involvement), which includes perceived average relationship quality, desire for relationships, and dismissal of relationships. Guided by a life course perspective, we examined whether ACEs and IPV work together to predict romantic outlook among young adults. We also explored whether education level moderated the effects of ACEs and IPV on romantic outlook during young adulthood. Our findings suggest that different types of IPV (physical, sexual, and psychological) are associated with different outcomes in terms of perceived relationship quality, desire, and dismissal. We also identified several significant findings related to educational attainment. Specifically, in the higher educational attainment group, participants with high ACE scores combined with high rates of IPV reported lower relationship desire and lower perceived relationship quality. These findings suggest a nuanced view of how both childhood experiences and different types of IPV are related to romantic outlook for young adults. Additionally, these findings suggest that higher education levels can strengthen the influence of adverse experiences during one's lifetime (ACEs and/or IPV) on young adults' romantic outlook.

In Love With a Trauma Survivor: When a History of Childhood Abuse Interferes With Relationship Satisfaction Among Couples

To date, the majority of research examining the effect of childhood abuse on relational aspects in adulthood is almost exclusively based on intraindividual data. The current study explores a moderating-mediating model from a dyadic perspective, examining the mediating effect that perceived intimacy has on the associations between concern couple caregiving and relationship satisfaction. It further investigates whether these mediation paths are moderated by a history of childhood abuse (physical/emotional/sexual). A total of 143 nonclinical couples (n = 286) in enduring relationships were recruited. A moderated mediation actor-partner interdependence model (moderated mediation actor-partner interdependence model (APIM)) comprised of three segments, was conducted. Results indicated that intimacy mediated the link between concern caregiving and relationship satisfaction on the actor's level, with effects applying equally to both husbands and wives. A higher level of intimacy among husbands and wives alike is linked, in turn, with higher relationship satisfaction. The path between actors' concern caregiving and their level of intimacy was moderated by the actors' childhood emotional and physical abuse; specifically, concern caregiving exerts greater effect on intimacy among participants who experienced high levels of emotional abuse, or low levels of physical abuse. Our findings highlight how different types of childhood abuse affect adult romantic relationships differently.

Perceived social support partially mediates the association between childhood abuse and pain-related characteristics

Higher perceived social support has been shown to buffer the impact of negative stressful events like childhood abuse on health outcomes. Yet, the role of perceived social support as a mediator of the association between childhood abuse and pain-related characteristics is not well understood. The present study explored this premise. Patients (n = 1,542) presenting to a tertiary-care, outpatient pain clinic completed a cross-sectional survey consisting of regularly collected clinical data and validated measures. Path analysis suggested that the impact of childhood abuse on sensory and affective pain-related characteristics was partially explained by perceived emotional support. Survivors of childhood abuse display a more complex clinical pain phenotype and this extends to more negative perceptions of social support. Our findings may reflect processes whereby childhood abuse negatively impacts social relationships across the lifespan, and these negative social perceptions and relationships influence sensory and affective components of pain.

The Loss in Connection with Catastrophes (LICCS) Scale: Understanding couple outcomes

This study presented the design of the Loss in Connection with Catastrophes Scale (LICCS). Information regarding reliability and validity were presented, alongside the potential uses of this instrument in research and clinical settings. Furthermore, the importance of attending to couple and family relationships in disaster studies was proposed, and preliminary dyadic findings examining the LICCS with a sample of heterosexual couples (N = 240) as a correlate of mental and relational well-being were set forth. The overall findings suggest (a) resource loss as well as indicators of mental and relational well-being were associated among couples and (b) greater resource loss was associated with greater distress within and between partners. This study was important in that it is one of only a few in the past two decades to utilize dyadic data in the study of couples and disasters. Directions for future study using the LICCS to understand loss processes were addressed.

Exposição à violência conjugal na infância e perpetuação transgeracional da violência

O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar as repercussões da exposição à violência conjugal na infância na perpetuação transgeracional da violência, com base em uma revisão sistemática da literatura. Foram considerados artigos empíricos disponíveis em bases de dados eletrônicas e publicados entre 2009 e 2021. Os estudos selecionados foram analisados qualitativamente, a partir das categorias temáticas: caracterização das amostras; características metodológicas; tipos de violência conjugal que embasam os estudos; e, repercussões da exposição à violência conjugal na infância na perpetuação transgeracional da violência. Compreendeu-se que os modelos aprendidos nas relações vivenciadas na família de origem e a exposição à violência conjugal durante a infância aparecem como fatores relevantes para a manutenção de uma relação conjugal violenta, reforçando a probabilidade de perpetuação transgeracional da violência. Os resultados encontrados demonstram a necessidade de um olhar cuidadoso de profissionais da área da saúde na tentativa de se pensar intervenções para romper o ciclo transgeracional.

The Residuum of Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse: Coming to Terms in Couple Relationships

Childhood exposure to physical violence and sexual abuse is a public health concern and is empirically connected to poor outcomes in adulthood. The present study was designed to assess dyadic associations between exposure to childhood physical violence and sexual abuse, and resolution, or a sense that one has "come to terms" with events in one's family of origin. The study was also aimed at assessing whether attachment behaviors mediated associations between abuse, violence, and resolution. The study was carried out using data from a community sample of 3,836 heterosexual couples who completed the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire inventory. Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling was employed within a structural equation model to examine associations. Results suggested inverse, direct actor associations for both men and women between physical violence and sexual abuse, and coming to terms. The results also showed inverse, direct partner associations for both men and women between sexual abuse and coming to terms. Furthermore, findings indicated the presence of inverse, indirect actor and partner effects for men and women between physical violence and coming to terms. Examination of these specific indirect partner and actor effects from physical violence to coming to terms implies partial mediation carried through one's own rating of attachment behaviors. Finally, actor (but not partner) associations were noted between attachment behaviors and coming to terms. In aggregate, the findings support the potential benefit of enhancing investment in attachment behaviors as a resource to aid in the resolution process of exposure to physical violence and sexual abuse in childhood.

Validation of the family health scale among heterosexual couples: a dyadic analysis

Background

The Family Health Scale (FHS) is a recently validated comprehensive measure of family health for use in survey research with the potential to also be used as a clinical measure. However, previous research has only validated the FHS among one member of the family rather than multiple family members. The objective of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the FHS long- and short-form among married and cohabitating partners (dyads).

Method

The sample for this study was comprised of 482 married or cohabitating heterosexual couples (dyads) who were parents of a child between the ages of 3–13, heterosexual, and living in the United States. Each member of the dyad completed a survey about his or her perception of family health, personal health, childhood experiences, and demographic characteristics. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted to examine the factor structure. Unidimensional, correlational, and second-order factor structures were examined using responses from both partners. The relationships between family health with individual health and demographic covariates were also examined.

Results

Women and men reported their family health similarly. The unidimensional factor structure had the best fit for the FHS short-form while either the unidimensional model or the second-order model would be appropriate for the FHS long-form. Household income, individual member mental health, and childhood experiences were associated with family health in the expected direction.

Conclusion

The results demonstrate that the FHS is a valid and reliable family measure when examining family health among dyads including married and cohabitating heterosexual couples who have children.

Family Adversity and Relationship Quality for Pacific Islanders and the Mediating Role of Coming to Terms, Self-Esteem, and Depression

This study investigated the association between family of origin (FOO) adversities and relationship quality for Pacific Islanders as well as the potential intermediary role of coming to terms (CTT), depression, and self-esteem. The sample consisted of 226 self-identified Pacific Islanders who completed the RELATE assessment (see www.relate-institute.org). Results indicated that greater levels of FOO adversity predicted lower levels of CTT. However, higher levels of CTT in turn associated with higher self-esteem, and lower levels of depression. Results also indicated that greater FOO adversity associates with lower relationship quality indirectly. The clinical implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

A Longitudinal Investigation into Marital Quality as a Mediator Linking Childhood Abuse to Positive and Negative Affective Symptoms

OBJECTIVE

Childhood abuse is positively associated with adult mental health problems and adult interpersonal relationships have been previously suggested to be a mediator. The role of marital partners, however, is less well understood. The current study will investigate marital quality as a mediator linking childhood abuse and positive and negative affective symptoms.

METHODS

The current study utilized three waves of data from the Midlife Development in the United States. Using a sample of 1,104 married adults (95.4% White), structural equation modeling examined the mediating effect of marital quality linking childhood abuse to positive and negative affective symptoms over a 20-year period.

RESULTS

Structural equation modeling revealed that childhood abuse was inversely associated marital quality, but was not directly associated with positive or negative affective symptoms. Marital quality was positively associated with greater positive affect and negatively associated with lower negative affect over a nine-year period, controlling for prior symptoms. Tests of indirect effects indicate that marital quality mediated the relationship between childhood abuse to both positive and negative affective symptoms, fully accounting for the association.

DISCUSSION

It appears that childhood abuse impacts the quality of adults' marriages, which may have significant implications for both positive and negative aspects of adult mental health. Marriages may be an important factor in understanding mental health in midlife and older adults among adults who were abused. Interventions should target the quality of adult marriages, and focusing on marital support, strain, and disagreement may be particularly effective.

Dynamic association between perceived conflict and communication behavior in intimate relationships: The moderating effect of traumatic experience

Many individuals may face traumatic events throughout their lives. For intimate relationship partners, early traumatic experiences can have a specific effect on their interpersonal communication. This study examined the moderating effect of traumatic experiences at early ages between perceived conflict and communication behavior among individuals in an intimate relationship. A total of 186 college students in intimate relationships reported their perceived conflict and communication behaviors with their partners three times a day for 14 days using ambulatory assessment. Findings from the multilevel model showed that a higher level of perceived conflict significantly positively associated with negative communication and negatively correlated with positive communication at the within-person level. Traumatic experiences at the between-person level moderated the within-person level associations between the dynamic perceived conflict and negative and positive communication behavior. However, the moderating effect of traumatic experiences on the association between perceived conflict and positive communication was contrary to the hypothesis. Daily perceived conflict was associated with daily communication behavior. For those with early traumatic experiences, the relationship between negative communication and conflict was stronger than for those who had not experienced such trauma.

Pressure to Attend Therapy, Dyadic Adjustment, and Adverse Childhood Experiences: Direct and Indirect Effects on the Therapeutic Alliance in Couples Therapy

In this study we examine the role that pressure to attend therapy, dyadic adjustment, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) play in developing the therapeutic alliance. A total of 351 couples received treatment as usual at three family therapy training clinics. Participants rated predictor variables at intake and alliance at the fourth session. Results of a path analysis indicate that each partner's dyadic adjustment is directly associated with the quality of her or his own alliance. In addition, when male partners report more ACEs and pressure to attend treatment, their own alliance scores decrease. Additionally, when one partner reports feeling pressure to attend therapy, the other partner's alliance decreases. Finally, for males, there is an indirect effect of dyadic adjustment on alliance through pressure to attend therapy. These results suggest that clinicians should routinely assess relationship adjustment, how pressured each partner is feeling to attend treatment, and ACEs; as these may impact alliance quality.