Author ORCID Identifier
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2025
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Raluca M Simons
Abstract
Betrayal trauma (Freyd, 1996) is a specific form of trauma that occurs when a child is significantly harmed by someone they depend on or trust. Prior research has demonstrated that betrayal trauma is more strongly associated with adverse mental health outcomes than traumas lower in interpersonal betrayal, yet few studies have examined its relationship with suicidal ideation or identified mechanisms that explain this association. The present study tested a path model in a sample of 391 young adults aged 18-34 who endorsed suicidal ideation in the past year. The model examined whether specific early maladaptive schemas (emotional deprivation, social isolation/alienation, defectiveness/shame) and interpersonal problems sequentially mediate the association between childhood betrayal trauma and suicidal ideation. Results partially supported the hypothesized model. Childhood betrayal trauma was significantly associated with all three schemas, and a direct association with suicidal ideation remained even after accounting for mediators. Emotional deprivation mediated the association between betrayal trauma and interpersonal problems, while defectiveness/shame mediated the association between betrayal trauma and suicidal ideation. Contrary to hypotheses, interpersonal problems did not significantly predict suicidal ideation in the final model. Implications and interpretations of these findings are discussed.
Subject Categories
Psychology
Keywords
betrayal trauma early maladaptive schemas interpersonal problems schemas suicide trauma
Number of Pages
98
Publisher
University of South Dakota
Recommended Citation
Yost, Christine, "CHILDHOOD BETRAYAL TRAUMA AND SUICIDAL IDEATION: THE ROLE OF EARLY MALADAPTIVE SCHEMAS AND INTERPERSONAL PROBLEMS" (2025). Dissertations and Theses. 379.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/379