Childhood Psychological Maltreatment and Perception of Self, Others, and Relationships: A Phenomenological Exploration

Abstract

Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to investigate perception of self, others, and relationships in adults with a history of psychological maltreatment during childhood. Six participants from a low-cost counseling agency completed a semistructured interview. Four superordinate themes emerged: (a) shame-based perception of self, (b) self-protection from emotional pain, (c) limited awareness of others, and (d) shame-based roles in relationships. Psychological maltreatment has pervasive and deleterious consequences for self-worth, perception of others, and interpersonal functioning.