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The long-term effects of childhood maltreatment: Examining the indirect and cross-lagged pathways of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and internalizing problems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2025

Jianjun Huang Open the ORCID record for Jianjun Huang [Opens in a new window] ,
Xi Shen  and
Jin-Liang Wang Open the ORCID record for Jin-Liang Wang [Opens in a new window]
Jianjun Huang
Affiliation:
Center for Mental Health Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
Xi Shen
Affiliation:
Center for Mental Health Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China Mental Health Education and Consultation Centre, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
Jin-Liang Wang*
Affiliation:
Center for Mental Health Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
*
Corresponding author: Jin-Liang Wang; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Childhood maltreatment, a significant distal risk factor for individual development, is potentially linked to maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (MCERS) and increased internalizing problems (i.e., depression and anxiety). Prior research has widely identified that MCERS mediate the link between childhood maltreatment and internalizing problems. However, this result overlooks the potential bidirectional relationship between MCERS and internalizing problems. In this study, we aim to explore whether childhood maltreatment longitudinally linked to internalizing problems through the mediating role of MCERS, or, conversely, was related to subsequent MCERS through internalizing problems. Gender differences in the associations between these variables were also examined. Participants were 892 adolescents from a longitudinal design with two waves (487 females, 405 males; Mage = 15.36, SDage = 1.43). Our results indicated that childhood maltreatment was longitudinally related to MCERS and internalizing problems. T1 MCERS mediated the relationship between T1 child maltreatment and T2 internalizing problems, while T1 internalizing problems also played a mediating role between T1 child maltreatment and T2 MCERS. These findings were also equivalent across genders. Taken together, childhood maltreatment was longitudinally associated with internalizing problems through MCERS, and also related to subsequent MCERS through internalizing problems.

Keywords

Anxietychildhood maltreatmentdepressionlongitudinal mediationmaladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies
Type
Regular Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , First View , pp. 1 - 9
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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