Citation

Xie W, Emery CR, Liu AY, Ng SM, Choi AWM, Chui CHK. Dev. Psychopathol. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0954579423001098

PMID

37680182

Abstract

While many studies have found an association between childhood emotional abuse and alcohol use disorders (AUD) during adulthood, underlying psychological mechanisms linking the two remain inadequately understood. Drawing on the developmental psychopathology perspective, this study examined the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and AUD during adulthood with a national sample of women in Nepal (N = 1,100, M age = 37.73), focusing on the mediating role of borderline personality traits. Mediation analyses were performed using the Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) method and bootstrapping confidence intervals.

RESULTS indicated that Nepali women's borderline personality traits significantly mediated the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and AUD. Hence, emotional abuse in childhood increases the risk for AUD during adulthood for Nepali women by increasing the risk of borderline personality traits.

FINDINGS underscore the necessity of continued emphasis on developing and implementing early interventions for childhood emotional abuse and therapeutic interventions for borderline personality traits in reducing AUD among vulnerable women in Nepal.

Language: en

Keywords

child maltreatment; alcohol use disorders; borderline personality traits; childhood emotional abuse; Nepali women