›› 2019, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (2): 335-342.

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The relationship between child psychological abuse and neglect and suicidal ideation: moderated mediation model

Han ZHOU1, 2,Liu qinxue3,ZHANG WEI   

  • Received:2018-04-22 Revised:2018-10-10 Online:2019-03-20 Published:2019-03-20
  • Contact: Liu qinxue

儿童心理虐待与忽视和自杀意念的关系:有调节的中介模型

周菡1,余思1,刘勤学1,张微2   

  1. 1. 华中师范大学
    2. 华中师范大学心理学院
  • 通讯作者: 刘勤学

Abstract: A massive literature documents the association between psychological abuse and neglect and suicidal ideation. However, the underlying mechanism of suicidal ideations remain unknown. Based on the strain theory of suicide, coping style is crucial in causing suicidal ideation. Moreover, previous researches and the attachment theory suggest potential mediating role of coping style in the relationship between child psychological abuse and neglect and suicidal ideation. Meanwhile, according to the interpersonal theory of suicide, friendship quality could be the protecting factor for suicidal ideation. From the perspective of ecological systems theory, friendship quality may interact with child psychological abuse and neglect and suicidal ideation; and in line with the organism-environment interaction model, friendship quality may interact with coping style. To sum up, this study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine whether coping style mediated the relation between child psychological abuse and neglect and suicidal ideation, and whether friendship quality moderated this indirect mediating process as well as direct process. A total of 988 junior high school students aged 9-14 years old (543 boys and 445 girls) from 8 cities participated in this investigation. After given informed consents, they completed Child Psychological Abuse and Neglect Scale, Chinese Version of Positive and Negative Suicidal Ideation Inventory, Copying Style Scale for Middle School Students and Chinese Version of Friendship Quality Inventory. First, common method biases were examined. Then correlation analysis were conducted to acquire the overall relationships between variables among the hypothesized model. Finally, the moderated mediation effects were tested by the PROCESS macro for SPSS. The correlation analysis showed that: child psychological abuse and neglect was positively correlated with suicidal ideation, emotion-focused coping was positively correlated with child psychological abuse and neglect and suicidal ideation, while problem-focused coping was negatively correlated with child psychological abuse and neglect and suicidal ideation. The testing for moderated mediation model indicated that: after controlling for gender and single child, (1) child psychological abuse and neglect significantly contributed to suicidal ideation; (2) coping style played a mediating role in the relationship between child psychological abuse and neglect and suicidal ideation; (3) friendship quality moderated the direct path from child psychological abuse and neglect to suicidal ideation, with this indirect effect being much stronger for adolescents with lower friendship quality; (4) friendship quality also moderated the mediated path through emotion-focused coping, with the relationship being stronger for adolescents with higher friendship quality. Thus, both mediating and moderating effects exist in the association between child psychological abuse and neglect and suicidal ideation. The present study revealed how and when child psychological abuse and neglect affects suicidal ideation. These findings may contribute to the precaution and prevention of teenager suicide. First, it is important to protect children from the harm of psychological abuse and neglect. Second, it is also helpful to decrease teenagers’ suicidal ideation risk by learning appropriate coping strategies and forming stronger interpersonal relationship.

Key words: child psychological abuse and neglect, coping style, suicidal ideation, friendship quality, moderated mediation

摘要: 采用问卷法对988名初中生进行调查,探究儿童心理虐待与忽视和自杀意念的关系,应对方式的中介作用以及友谊质量的调节作用。结果表明:(1)儿童心理虐待与忽视正向预测自杀意念;(2)应对方式是儿童心理虐待与忽视和自杀意念之间的中介变量;(3)儿童心理虐待与忽视对自杀意念的直接效应受到友谊质量的调节,直接效应对于友谊质量低的青少年更显著;(4)儿童心理虐待与忽视通过应对方式对自杀意念的间接效应的后半段受到友谊质量的调节,友谊质量高的青少年的自杀意念水平相对更低。因此,儿童心理虐待与忽视和自杀意念之间是有调节的中介关系,儿童心理虐待与忽视通过应对方式影响自杀意念,友谊质量在直接路径和间接路径中起调节作用。

关键词: 儿童心理虐待与忽视, 自杀意念, 应对方式, 友谊质量, 有调节的中介