A pilot study on childhood trauma and love addiction: exploring the mediation of unbalanced family functioning

Gori, A, Topino, E, Russo, S and Griffiths, MD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8880-6524, 2024. A pilot study on childhood trauma and love addiction: exploring the mediation of unbalanced family functioning. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. ISSN 1942-9681

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Abstract

Objective: The general aim of the present study was the exploration of the relationships between childhood trauma subdimensions (physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect), unbalanced family functioning patterns (disengaged, enmeshed, rigid, and chaotic), and love addiction.

Method: A sample of 910 individuals (76.6% female; Mage = 30 years, SD = 10.55) engaged in a romantic relationship participated in the research and completed the Love Addiction Inventory-Short Form, Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales-IV, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form.

Results: Among the childhood trauma subdimensions, emotional and physical abuse showed significant and positive associations with love addiction levels. Furthermore, the path analysis showed that unbalanced family functioning patterns parallelly mediated the relationship between emotional (enmeshed, rigid, and chaotic patterns) and physical abuse (chaotic patterns) and love addiction. Gender as a covariate was controlled for.

Conclusions: The present study offers insight into the mechanisms by which specific forms of childhood trauma could lead to love addiction in adulthood. The findings offer valuable insights for developing customized interventions when working with individuals struggling with love addiction, as well as for implementing effective preventive activities for the condition.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
Creators:	Gori, A., Topino, E., Russo, S. and Griffiths, M.D.
Publisher:	American Psychological Association (APA)
Date:	29 February 2024
ISSN:	1942-9681
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1037/tra0001669 DOI 1869911 Other
Rights:	©American Psychological Association, 2024. This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. The final article is available, upon publication, at: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/tra0001669
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Laura Ward
Date Added:	05 Mar 2024 13:39
Last Modified:	05 Mar 2024 13:39
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/51004

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