Understanding the developmental impact of psychological maltreatment through the lens of the dimensional model of adversity and psychopathology.

Background

Psychological maltreatment is linked to negative developmental outcomes in adolescents. It includes psychological abuse (PA) and psychological neglect (PN), which are commonly studied as a pair. This study applied the dimensional model of adversity and psychopathology (DMAP), which conceptualises abuse as a threatening experience involving harm or the threat of harm that primarily impairs social-emotional processing, such as emotion regulation, while it views neglect as deprivation or absence of parental care that predominantly affects cognitive functioning, such as working memory.

Objective

In an effort to better understand the harmful nature of psychological maltreatment, this study applies the DMAP to understand whether PA and PN have differential effects paving divergent trajectories to psychopathology, hypothesising that PA predicts dysfunctional emotion regulation, whereas PN impairs working memory.Method: A classroom-based online survey was conducted in Switzerland. The analysis incorporated a sample size of 1,207 adolescents across 82 classes. PA, PN, and dysfunctional emotion regulation were assessed using self-report, and working memory was assessed using a performance task. Hierarchical linear regression models were conducted with controls for co-occurring deprivation, threat, and other individual and family factors (e.g. socioeconomic status, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) at level 1, and for education level and the trauma load of the school class at level 2.

Results

In modelling dysfunctional emotion regulation, PA (β = 0.45, p < .001) was the strongest predictor, whereas PN had no significant effect. In the working memory model, neither PN nor PA was significantly predictive.

Conclusion

These findings partially support the DMAP framework, underscoring psychological abuse as an important factor in dysfunctional emotion regulation and psychopathology.