Adults who experienced psychological abuse as children tend to report lower satisfaction in their romantic relationships, largely because they struggle to form a strong sense of belonging. Longitudinal findings suggest that prioritizing treatments that build a sense of social connectedness may help repair relationship damage resulting from early parental abuse. This research Individuality and individual differences.
Psychologists have extensively documented how early trauma shapes human development. Physical abuse and sexual abuse are regularly investigated as risk factors for later mental health problems. Psychological abuse has received little academic attention despite its widespread impact on psychological well-being. This type of abuse involves parental attitudes and behaviors that are consistently repeated during a child’s developmental years, such as constant disrespect, emotional neglect, harsh criticism, and aggressive rejection.
Yakub Ime, a researcher at Turkey’s Necmettin Erbakan University, sought to understand how this particular form of early adversity affects people into adulthood. Decades of research based on attachment theory suggests that the first bond children form with their caregivers serves as a template for future connections. A supportive home environment usually teaches children that others can be trusted. When parents are emotionally abusive, children often internalize negative views of themselves and the outside world.
Children who enjoy a consistent and responsive bond with their primary caregiver generally grow into adults who can handle emotional intimacy well. They learn to communicate their needs and effectively regulate their emotions during conflict. In contrast, people who have experienced psychological abuse often adopt disorganized or insecure attachment styles. They repeatedly cling to and push away from their partner, leaving little room for emotional stability.
Researchers believe this early conditioning can disrupt romantic relationships much later in life. Relationship satisfaction is an emotional response shaped by an individual’s evaluation of positive and negative situations in a romantic relationship. High relationship satisfaction is strongly associated with improved overall physical health and psychological stability. Decreased satisfaction often leads to psychological distress and relationship dissolution.
To understand the mechanisms linking a difficult childhood and an unhappy love life, Ime focused on the concept of belonging. Belonging refers to an individual’s internal perception of being accepted, valued, and supported by a group or others. Humans are fundamentally social beings who seek a safe environment and connect with others.
Previous research has shown that a high sense of belonging provides a buffer against stress. Conversely, feelings of alienation and rejection are associated with anxiety and social isolation. Imeh hypothesized that childhood psychological abuse damages a person’s ability to feel integrated into their social network. This damaged sense of belonging can undermine a person’s ability to feel secure and fulfilled in a romantic relationship.
To test this proposed pathway, researchers designed a longitudinal study. By collecting data at multiple time points, researchers can track developmental trends and determine whether changes in one variable predict changes in another variable. The study involved 346 adult university students living in Konya, Turkey.
The participant group included 213 women and 133 men between the ages of 20 and 36 years. Most participants were around the age of 25. Data collection occurred on two separate occasions, three months apart, in February and May of the academic year. Measuring psychological constructs at regular intervals helps separate pre-existing personality traits from actual emotional changes over time.
In both sessions, participants completed the same printed questionnaire. They completed the Psychological Abuse Scale, which measures the frequency of psychologically abusive parenting behaviors during early development. Participants rated statements such as how often parents deliberately embarrass their children in front of others. A higher score indicates a higher frequency of emotional abuse in the past.
They then completed a general sense of belonging scale that assesses whether individuals feel socially accepted or rejected in modern times. Respondents rated statements indicating whether they felt able to develop close relationships with colleagues and the broader community. Higher scores on this scale indicate a well-developed sense of belonging.
Finally, participants completed a relationship rating scale assessing their overall satisfaction with their current romantic partner. The survey asked participants to rate their overall satisfaction with their dating lives. A high score on this assessment means participants felt happy and secure in their romantic choices.
Researchers matched responses from the first wave of data collection with responses from the second wave. To protect privacy, personally identifying details were limited to a pseudonym and a fragment of a phone number. The data were then analyzed using statistical methods suitable for tracking variables across different time points. This analysis controls for initial baseline scores and reveals how factors influence each other over time.
The data revealed a predictable sequence from early parental abuse to adult romantic dissatisfaction. Participants who reported higher levels of childhood psychological abuse had a significantly lower sense of belonging during the initial assessment. Even after controlling for baseline assessments, a history of psychological abuse predicted a further decline in sense of social belonging after 3 months. These young people felt isolated from their peers and their love lives suffered.
Lower scores on sense of belonging at the beginning of the study predicted lower relationship satisfaction by the second wave of data collection. Finding a place in a community and feeling accepted by one’s peers appears to maintain the emotional intimacy necessary for romantic relationships. As participants lost their sense of acceptance, they became less satisfied with their dating partners. Overall, the statistical model showed that sense of belonging acted as a mediator, linking early emotional abuse with lower relationship satisfaction.
People who endure constant disrespect and neglect from their caregivers often develop self-blame and social withdrawal. Because they expect rejection, they may distance themselves from their social support networks entirely. This isolation robs us of our basic human needs for safety and connection. As a result, people enter romantic partnerships with heightened anxiety and impaired ability to trust their partners.
This study suggests that finding ways to promote social inclusion may provide a therapeutic lifeline. When adults who have had adverse childhood experiences are successfully integrated into a supportive community, their internal sense of belonging increases. Feeling valued by a broader group may alleviate some of the heavy emotional burden placed on single romantic partners. Treatments that focus on strengthening social adaptability and a general sense of belonging may have positive outcomes for people who suffer from relationship instability.
This study is characterized by several practical limitations. The data relied entirely on self-reported questionnaires, meaning that some responses may have been influenced by a desire to appear socially acceptable. The 3-month gap between the two data collection periods limits our ability to track deeply ingrained psychological changes. Following participants over several years would provide a more comprehensive view of how these dynamics change over the lifespan.
The sample consisted entirely of adult students attending a single university in Türkiye. The cultural structure, values, and education system of the region may have influenced the results. Replicating this study in different countries would help establish whether the observed patterns hold true for diverse populations. The study also stopped short of testing whether the questionnaire maintained rigorous measurement invariance over time.
The researchers recommend that future studies investigate other potential mediating factors. Concepts such as interpersonal trust, self-esteem, and emotional regulation skills may also play a role in linking early emotional abuse to subsequent dating distress.
The study, “How early psychological abuse predicts lower relationship satisfaction via sense of belonging in adulthood: A longitudinal study” was authored by Yakup İme.
