Childhood adversity tied to weaker adult relationship habits
A University of Georgia study links adverse childhood experiences to mental health strain, poorer daily relationship behaviors and lower satisfaction in couples.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Adults who report more adversity in childhood may have a harder time keeping romantic relationships healthy through routine communication and support, according to University of Georgia researchers. The study matters because it points to everyday relationship habits as one pathway between early trauma and lower relationship satisfaction later in life.
The research, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, examined responses from more than 200 adult couples enrolled through UGA’s ELEVATE program, a free relationship education effort run by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Both partners answered questions about adverse experiences before age 18 and about their current mental health, relationship behaviors and satisfaction.
The researchers defined adverse childhood experiences to include events such as abuse, neglect, parental divorce or the death of a parent. Participants also reported experiences such as being frequently yelled at or shoved by a parent, or repeated hunger, according to UGA.
Daily habits showed a link to relationship quality
Lead author Analisa Arroyo, a professor in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, said small daily actions help couples build trust and support over time. When those habits are missing, couples may have fewer resources to draw on during stress or conflict, she said.
The study found that people who reported more adverse childhood experiences also reported more loneliness, depression and anxiety as adults. Those mental health strains were associated with more difficulty carrying out relationship-maintenance behaviors, including routine communication, affection and conflict management, according to the researchers.
Couples who reported weaker communication and lower perceived support also reported lower relationship satisfaction overall, the study found. Arroyo said the findings suggest that minor daily interactions, such as noticing and responding to a partner, can shape how couples deal with larger problems.
Evin Richardson, a co-author and assistant research scientist in UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences, said relationship problems are often viewed through present-day behavior alone. The UGA team’s findings suggest that for some couples, current conflict patterns may be tied to earlier life stress, Richardson said.
Women’s experiences showed partner effects
The researchers also found gender differences in how childhood adversity and mental health concerns related to relationship satisfaction. Women who reported more adverse childhood experiences were more likely to report mental health problems, and those problems were linked not only to their own lower relationship satisfaction but also to their partner’s.
For men in the study, depression or anxiety associated with childhood trauma was linked to their own assessment of the relationship, but not their partner’s satisfaction, according to UGA.
The researchers said couples may be able to reduce some of the effects by building communication and relationship-maintenance skills through therapy or relationship education programs. Richardson said people who have experienced significant trauma or long-term stress may also benefit from individual counseling or therapy to better understand how past experiences affect current patterns.
Arroyo said people cannot alter what happened in childhood, but they can learn how those experiences continue to shape them. The study’s co-authors also included Ted Futris, director of UGA’s Couple and Relationship Enrichment Laboratory, and UGA alumni Rachel Brown and Abigail Gilbert.
This story draws on original reporting from Phys.org.