Cycles of Abuse: The Mediating Role of Emotional Abuse on the Relationship Between Childhood Adversity and Depressive Symptoms

Emotional abuse is associated with several deleterious outcomes including poor mental health, sexual assault, and partner homicide. Exposure to violence during childhood is an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) that has also been shown to increase the likelihood of experiencing mental health issues, including depression. Building on this understanding, this paper presents two studies that examined the relationship between these constructs, hypothesizing that individuals with ACEs would be more likely to experience both depressive symptoms and emotional abuse in intimate relationships during adulthood. Study One consisted of 345 Australian women and men aged 18 to 29 years, while Study Two comprised 700 women (18-82 years) from several countries. In both studies, participants completed online measures assessing ACEs, adult experiences of emotional abuse, and depression. Results from both studies showed that experiencing childhood adversity increases the risk of experiencing emotional abuse in intimate relationships and developing depressive symptoms in adulthood. Moreover, emotional abuse positively predicted depression, even after controlling for ACEs. The results provide further evidence for intergenerational cycles of abuse and their long-term mental health consequences.