A Prospective Investigation of the Relationship Between Child Maltreatment and Indicators of Adult Psychological Well-Being
The study of psychological well-being will advance understanding of child maltreatment effects and resilience processes. In this study, the mean level of anger in adulthood was significantly higher for those identified three decades earlier as having been maltreated. Mean levels of
self-esteem, autonomy, purpose in life, perceived (fewer) constraints, and happiness and satisfaction were lower for those who were maltreated according to child welfare reports. Officially recorded child maltreatment was moderately (r < .30) correlated with several psychological
well-being indicators and predictive of adult anger, self-esteem, autonomy, and happiness/life satisfaction after accounting for childhood socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and other sources of data on child abuse and neglect. Parent-reported abusive disciplining also uniquely predicted
several outcomes, as did a measure of observed child neglect to a lesser extent.
Keywords: ADULT PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING; CHILD ABUSE; CHILD MALTREATMENT; CHILD NEGLECT
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: 01 October 2012
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