Perceived social support and self-compassion as serial mediators of relationship between childhood maltreatment and psychological distress
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19272149 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rukiye Kızıltepe (0000-0001-8076-3419, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey, corresponding author), Servet Kaçar‐Başaran (0000-0001-6614-1103, Pamukkale University), Servet Kaçar-Başaran (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 72 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 398-408 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Social Psychiatry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-7640 • E-ISSN: 1741-2854 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00207640251362726 |
| PMID | 40891803 |
| OpenAlex | W4413929475 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 76 |
Background: Previous studies have consistently found a robust relationship between childhood maltreatment and psychological distress. Despite the increasing number of studies in recent years that have identified social support or self-compassion as potential mechanisms in this relationship, no study examines the mediating role of both social support and self-compassion in adults. Aim: This study aimed to investigate social support and self-compassion as potential mediators in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and psychological distress using a serial mediation model. Method: Using online surveys, a total of 310 participants ( M age = 28.83, SD = 6.07) were included in this study. The data was collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales – Short Form. The proposed serial mediation model was conducted using PROCESS macro for SPSS. Results: After controlling age and gender, the results showed that: (a) there was a direct effect of childhood maltreatment on psychological distress ( B = 0.192, p < .001); (b) self-compassion mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and psychological distress (effect = 0.107, SE = 0.03, 95% CI [0.051, 0.170]) whereas social support did not mediate this relationship (effect = 0.026, SE = 0.01, 95% CI [−0.009, 0.065]); and (c) social support and self-compassion mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and psychological distress in a sequential way (effect = 0.053, SE = 0.01, 95% CI [0.031, 0.083]). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that increasing social support resources and particularly addressing self-compassion in therapy may help individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment
Distress · Mediation · Mindfulness · Psychotherapist · Self-compassion · Social support · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Psychology
The Relationship Between Self‐Compassion and Well‐Being
The Prevalence of Child Maltreatment across the Globe
The association between five forms of child maltreatment and depressive and anxiety disorders
Child abuse and neglect, social support, and psychopathology in adulthood
The neurobiological consequences of early stress and childhood maltreatment
Mindfulness, self-compassion, and savoring
Child multi-type maltreatment and associated depression and PTSD symptoms
Childhood emotional maltreatment and mental disorders
Self-compassion and Psychological Distress in Adolescents—a Meta-analysis
Compassionate mind training for people with high shame and self‐criticism
Applied Psychometrics
Maltreatment in childhood substantially increases the risk of adult depression and anxiety in prospective cohort studies
Meta-Analysis of the Relationships Between Social Support and Well-Being in Children and Adolescents
Development and validation of a brief screening version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire
Burden and consequences of child maltreatment in high-income countries
The structure of negative emotional states
Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the Self‐Compassion Scale
Childhood emotional neglect and adolescent depression
The unique contribution of childhood maltreatment types to risk-taking behavior and self-esteem
Perceived social support and procrastination in college students
Required Sample Size to Detect the Mediated Effect
The Noncentral Chi-square Distribution in Misspecified Structural Equation Models
Childhood Maltreatment Influences Mental Symptoms
Self-compassion and Psychological Resilience Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Distinctions between social support concepts, measures, and models
The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support
Self-Compassion
Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling
Objective and subjective experiences of child maltreatment and their relationships with psychopathology
| Highly cited | No |
|---|