Childhood Maltreatment and Adult Romantic Relationship Outcomes: Social Support Matters

While the connection between childhood maltreatment and poorer adult romantic relationship outcomes is well established in the literature, identification of protective factors, such as social support, remains understudied. It is important to understand what factors contribute to individuals with childhood maltreatment histories having successful romantic relationships. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether social support had a moderating (i.e. protective) effect on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adult romantic relationships and whether this differed by sex. A sample of 203 adults (aged 18 to 25 years) was recruited. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression modeling. Results from the analyses revealed that childhood maltreatment was a significant predictor of poorer adult romantic relationship outcomes. Total social support and friend social support were found to be moderators within the total sample. When these relationships were examined by sex, no moderation effect was observed. Overall, the study highlights the complex role of social support sources, suggesting that friend support offers a key avenue for intervention for those with CM histories.