Investigating the Influence of Childhood Emotional Maltreatment and Emotional Neglect on Sense of Coherence in Young Adulthood

Child maltreatment contributes to numerous negative health and mental health outcomes. Previous research has emphasized that sense of coherence (SOC), which includes personal resources that promote stress management, is a potent construct shown to positively affect quality of life, psychological health, and symptoms of traumatic stress among trauma survivors. However, less is known about the effect of specific forms of child maltreatment and their relationship to SOC. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship among specific types of child maltreatment and SOC and to determine the unique contribution of specific forms of child maltreatment on SOC in young adulthood. Results indicated that the most robust predictors of poorer SOC scores among young adults in this sample were severity of childhood emotional maltreatment and of emotional neglect, suggesting that participants who reported more severe childhood emotional maltreatment and emotional neglect reported fewer resources to manage stress. Implications for counseling practice and research are discussed.