TITLE:
Does Child Maltreatment Mediate Family Environment and Psychological Well-Being?
AUTHORS:
Michael Galea
KEYWORDS:
Childhood Maltreatment, Family Environment, Well-Being
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.1 No.2,
June
30,
2010
ABSTRACT: This study tried to establish if childhood maltreatment mediates the established relationship between family environ-ment and psychological well-being, in a sample of Maltese university students (N = 312). However, our analysis sug-gested partial mediation only. Moreover, results indicated that abusive families are less loving, socially integrated, organized, and more conflicted. Family environment contributed positively, albeit limited, to cognitive well-being after controlling for child abuse history. In particular, cohesion, do add unique variance to subjective well-being, after controlling for child abuse. This study replicates classic research on the important role that family environment plays in children’s holistic development.