Childhood Emotional Abuse and Psychological Inflexibility among Adolescents in Jeddah: A Mixed-Methods Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52839/0111-000-090-001Keywords:
Childhood abuse experiences, Psychological flexibility, Mixed-methods approachAbstract
The current research aims to examine the level of childhood emotional abuse and psychological inflexibility among a sample of adolescents in Jeddah and to explore their experiences of emotional abuse and its impact on manifestations of psychological inflexibility. The researcher adopted a mixed-methods approach using an explanatory sequential design. The research sample consisted of 837 participants for quantitative data and 20 participants for qualitative data. Instruments included the Childhood Emotional Abuse Scale, a translated version of the Psychological Inflexibility Scale, and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect the needed data. The results indicated moderate levels of childhood emotional abuse and psychological inflexibility among the participants. The qualitative findings revealed multiple patterns of childhood emotional abuse and their psychological and behavioral consequences. Manifestations of psychological inflexibility included the dominance of negative internal experiences, avoidance of painful emotions, and behavioral withdrawal. The research concludes with several recommendations, including enhancing early detection of emotional abuse in schools and linking it to specialized psychological interventions, as well as implementing guidance and training programs for adolescents to promote psychological flexibility.
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