(Anti)-mattering and its association with child maltreatment and loneliness: evidence from the German versions of the general mattering and anti-mattering scales

BACKGROUND: Mattering and anti-mattering are closely associated with mental health outcomes, including loneliness. Mattering describes the perceived sense of being important to others, whereas anti-mattering reflects feelings of being ignored, unvalued, or insignificant. Both constructs may be shaped by adverse childhood experiences, including child maltreatment. Therefore, the present study examined the relationships among mattering, anti-mattering, child maltreatment, and loneliness, while also evaluating the psychometric properties of the German versions of the General Mattering Scale (GMS) and the Anti-Mattering Scale (AMS). METHODS: In a German-speaking online sample (N = 284), we assessed child maltreatment, mattering, anti-mattering, loneliness, psychological distress, quality of life, and social network size. Mediation analyses examined whether mattering and anti-mattering mediated the association between child maltreatment and loneliness. Internal consistency, factor structure, and associations with related constructs were examined to evaluate the German GMS and AMS. RESULTS: Child maltreatment was associated with lower mattering, higher anti-mattering, and greater loneliness. Both mattering and anti-mattering partially mediated the association between child maltreatment and loneliness, with anti-mattering showing the stronger indirect association. The German GMS and AMS demonstrated good internal consistency, and a two-factor model supported mattering and anti-mattering as distinct but related constructs. Their associations with loneliness, psychological distress, quality of life, social network size, and child maltreatment supported criterion validity. CONCLUSIONS: The German GMS and AMS are reliable and valid instruments. Findings highlight the relevance of mattering and especially anti-mattering for understanding loneliness and its links to early adversity, suggesting their potential importance as clinical and psychotherapeutic targets. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The validation process was preregistered separately for the GMS and AMS on the Open Science Framework (OSF): https://osf.io/8tsey/?view_only=cb9cb335a19b46faa7e9e00a5e21668b ; https://osf.io/yvmpa/?view_only=1eb275b272a44fe88bb43e87b6e12163 .