Verbal Abuse Related to Self-Esteem Damage and Unjust Blame Harms Mental Health and Social Interaction in College Population

Sci Rep. 2019 Apr 4;9(1):5655. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-42199-6.

Abstract

Verbal abuse is an emotional abuse intended to inflict intense humiliation-denigration-fear as perceived by exposed person. Network-based approaches have been applied to explore the integrative-segregated patterns of associations among the psychological features and external stimuli for diverse populations; few studies reported for verbal abuse effects in college population. Self-reporting measurements acquired form 5,616 college students were used for network analyses. Escalating cascades of verbal abuse from differential sources (parents, peers, or supervisors; network 1) and directed associations among verbal abuse severity-psychopathology-social interaction (network 2) were estimated using the directed acyclic graphs. Principal connectors of verbal abuse-psychopathology-social interaction were shown using the graph theory metrics calculated from the intra-individual covariance networks (network 3). Directed propagating patterns of verbal abuse phenomena differed by source (network 1). Severe peer-related verbal abuse affected psychomotor changes and influenced irritability (network 2). Verbal abuse of self-esteem damage and unjust blame served as connectors in the verbal abuse-psychopathology-social interaction; influence of smartphone overuse-related distress was stronger in cases with more severe verbal abuse (network 3). Verbal abuse that damages self-esteem and conveys unjust blame harms mental health and social interaction for college population.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aggression / psychology
  • Domestic Violence / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Male
  • Mental Health
  • Middle Aged
  • Peer Group
  • Psychological Distress
  • Republic of Korea
  • Self Concept*
  • Students / psychology*
  • Young Adult