The Roles of Neuroticism and Schizotypy in Emotional Abuse and Mental Health Association: A Replication and Extension of Alnassar et al. (2024)

Abstract

Background: Childhood emotional abuse (EA) has been consistently linked to adverse mental health outcomes. Recent data suggest that neuroticism may partially mediate this association but the role of schizotypy which overlaps with neuroticism and also predicts negative emotional experiences remains unknown. This study examined the roles of both neuroticism and schizotypy in the association of EA with poor mental health and sleep quality. Methods: Data were collected from 478 healthy adults (179 males, 299 females) who completed self-report measures of childhood trauma (emotional abuse and neglect, physical abuse and neglect, sexual abuse), mental health (depression, anxiety, stress), sleep quality, and personality traits (neuroticism, schizotypy) in a single session. Structural equation modelling was used to test neuroticism and schizotypy as potential mediators of EA association with poor mental health and sleep quality. Results: All forms of childhood trauma were associated with poor mental health and sleep quality, with EA showing these associations most strongly (r: .30-.42). Neuroticism and schizotypy were significantly correlated (β=.52) and independently mediated the relationship between EA and poor mental health (neuroticism: β=.12; schizotypy: β=.11), while only neuroticism mediated the relationship between EA and poor sleep quality (β=.12). Conclusions: Both neuroticism and schizotypy mediate EA-mental health association possibly due to poor cognitive control and heightened stress sensitivity, exaggerating maladaptive emotion regulation. Further research should aim to examine underlying cognitive mechanisms (e.g., selective negative recall bias) through which neuroticism and/or schizotypy exert their influence in these associations and develop suitable psychological interventions to target them.