Survivors of Child Abuse: Understanding the Sound Marital House Theory in Relation to Trust

Ashley C Elcock, Purdue University

Abstract

Adult romantic relationships of childhood abuse survivors have higher rates of patterns that can lead to relationship dissolution, such as Negative Sentiment Override, Flooding, and the Distance and Isolation Cascade. This study added to the current knowledge that marriage and family therapists have on these patterns by exploring how trust, resilience, and working through trauma are related to these factors. Data from this research indicated that childhood abuse survivors experience more difficulty with trust, and that this difficulty plays into the development of Negative Sentiment Override, Flooding, and the Distance and Isolation Cascade. Furthermore, as indicated by previous research, Negative Sentiment Override was found to lead into Flooding, and recurrent Flooding led to the Distance and Isolation Cascade. Resilience and working through trauma were also explored as potential variables that may lessen the development of these negative relationship patterns. While resilience as measured by F-Copes was not found to be a significant variable influencing these negative relationship patterns, working through trauma was. In particular, it was found that working through trauma helped with increasing various components of trust, as well as decreasing Negative Sentiment Override, Flooding, and the Distance and Isolation Cascade.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Wetchler, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Therapy|Mental health|Psychology

COinS