Citation

Antelo E, Saldaña O, Rodríguez-Carballeira. Eur. J. Psychotraumatol. 2021; 12(1): e1954776.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, The Author(s), Publisher Co-action Publishing)

DOI

10.1080/20008198.2021.1954776

PMID

34408819

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicate that social functioning and resilience can mitigate the adverse psychological effects of interpersonal violence. Unfortunately, the role of these variables has not been studied in survivors of groups, organizations, and communities in which psychological abusive strategies are inflicted to recruit and dominate their members.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the mediating role of social functioning and resilience in the relationship between psychological abuse experienced in the past while in a group and current psychosocial distress and psychopathological symptoms.

METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, an online questionnaire was administered to 794 English-speaking former members of different kinds of groups, such as religious, pseudo therapeutic, pyramid scheme groups, and others. Among them, 499 were victims of group psychological abuse and 295 were non-victims.

RESULTS: Victims of group psychological abuse reported lower levels of social functioning and resilience than non-victims, and higher levels of psychosocial difficulties and psychopathological symptoms. Serial mediation analyses revealed that social functioning and resilience mediated part of the impact of group psychological abuse on psychosocial difficulties and psychopathological symptoms. Sex and age joining the group were included as covariates. Participants who had experienced higher levels of group psychological abuse tend to have poorer social functioning, which is related to lower resilience. In turn, lower levels of social functioning and resilience are related with higher distress.

CONCLUSIONS: This research sheds light on the underlying mechanisms involved in the relationship between group psychological abuse and distress suffered following this kind of traumatic experiences.

FINDINGS highlight the protective role of social adjustment, which can help promote and enhance resilience and mitigate psychosocial difficulties and psychopathological symptoms in survivors of group psychological abuse.

Language: en

Keywords

resilience; psychological violence; resiliencia; 心理韧性; abuso psicológico en grupos; adaptación social; Cult survivors; distress; group psychological abuse; interpersonal trauma; malestar; social adjustment; supervivientes de sectas; trauma interpersonal; violencia psicológica; 人际创伤; 团体心理虐待; 心理暴力; 痛苦; 社会适应; 邪教幸存者