Childhood maltreatment increases psychological distress among adolescents: Longitudinal mediating roles of self-continuity and self-control

Abstract

Despite the recognition that childhood maltreatment is a significant risk factor for psychological distress, few have differentiated the distinct effects of childhood abuse and neglect, and the underlying mechanisms remain inadequately understood. To address these gaps, this study employed a three-wave longitudinal design over 12 months to examine the effect of childhood abuse and neglect on psychological distress among 946 Chinese adolescents (47.60% girls; aged 13–17 years, M_age = 15.35, SD = 0.59) and revealed the mediating roles of self-continuity and self-control. Correlation results indicated that both childhood abuse and neglect were positively associated with psychological distress and negatively associated with self-continuity and self-control. Structural equation modeling revealed that childhood abuse and neglect directly and positively predicted psychological distress, and childhood abuse indirectly affected psychological distress through self-control rather than self-continuity. Furthermore, a chain mediation pathway from self-continuity to self-control further explained the relationship between childhood neglect and psychological distress. These findings elucidate the psychological pathways underlying the relationship between childhood maltreatment dimensions and psychological distress and highlight the critical role of self-control in developing intervention strategies to mitigate the adverse mental health effects of childhood maltreatment during adolescence.