Developing a Model of Emotional and Social loneliness based on Childhood Psychological Maltreatment with the Mediating role of Early schemas Disconnection & Rejection Domain Maladaptive

Subject Areas : Clinical psychology

Yoones Rajaei ¹ , Shahryar Yarmohamadi Vasel ²

1 - BuAli sina university
2 - Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

Received: 2025-12-20 Accepted : 2025-12-20 Published : 2025-12-20

Keywords: Childhood psychological maltreatment, Early maladaptive schemas, Emotional loneliness, Social loneliness,

Abstract :

The aim of the present study was to propose and assess the fit of a model of emotional and social loneliness based on childhood psychological maltreatment, with the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas in the Disconnection & Rejection domain. The research method was descriptive and correlational. A total of 373 students (131 men and 242 women) were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling from Bu-Ali Sina University in Hamedan. Data were collected using the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (DiTommaso, Brannen, & Best, 2004), the Psychological Maltreatment Questionnaire (Coates & Messman-Moore, 2014), and the Young Schema Questionnaire (Young & Brown, 2005). Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between emotional loneliness and the schemas of emotional deprivation, social isolation, abandonment, defectiveness, and mistrust, and between social loneliness and the schemas of emotional deprivation, social isolation, abandonment, and mistrust. Furthermore, psychological maltreatment had a positive and significant relationship with the schemas of emotional deprivation, defectiveness, social isolation, abandonment, and mistrust. In addition, the causal relationship between emotional and social loneliness and childhood psychological maltreatment was significant, with the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas in the Disconnection & Rejection domain. These findings highlight the clinical importance of addressing maladaptive schemas in therapeutic settings to reduce loneliness in adults with a history of childhood psychological maltreatment.

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