Role of Childhood Trauma, Cognitive Fusion, and Emotional Expression Styles in the Prevalence of Spousal Abuse

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the role of childhood trauma, cognitive fusion, and emotional expression styles in the prevalence of spousal abuse among married women. The research method is descriptive, correlational. The statistical population includes all married women abused by their spouses in Garmsar city, referred to clinics and crisis intervention centers in Garmsar city in 2025. Through a convenient method, 150 married women were selected and asked to answer the Bernstein et al. (1988) Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Gillanders et al. (2010) Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire, and King and Emmons (1990) Emotional Expression Styles Questionnaire. Pearson correlation and multivariate regression in SPSS23 software were used to analyze the data. The results showed that there is a significant and negative relationship between the variables of childhood trauma and emotional expression (r=-0.32), defusion (r=-0.43), and negative emotional expression (r=-0.31), and there was a significant and positive relationship between the other variables and emotional expression. Besides the variables studied, predicted 0.36 changes in emotional expression. The need for planning and training to create a supportive condition to reduce harm in different kinds to family members is recommended.                                                                                  

Keywords: Childhood trauma, cognitive fusion, emotional expression styles, spousal abuse.