The mediating role of resilience in the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and emotional neglect and codependency

Abstract

Emotional abuse and neglect are among the most common forms of psychological trauma. It is known that individuals exposed to emotional abuse and neglect during childhood are at a higher risk of developing psychopathology in adulthood and experience various difficulties in interpersonal relationships. This research investigates the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and emotional neglect and codependency in young adults. The research group included 401 participants, aged between 18 and 45, with 305 females (71.6%) and 96 males (23.9%), reflecting various aspects of young adulthood, as defined by Levinson’s theory of individual life structure. The data were collected using the Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale, the Emotional Abuse and Emotional Neglect subscales of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the Adult Resilience Measure. The results showed that childhood emotional abuse and neglect were positively related to relationship addiction and negatively related to resilience. Furthermore, resilience was found to be a partial mediating variable in the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and codependency. However, the established model of the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between childhood emotional neglect and codependency was not statistically significant. These results suggest that childhood emotional abuse and neglect are significant predictors of codependencyand can help understand the impact of emotional abuse on codependency and resilience in young adults.