The Relationship Between Childhood Abuse and Emotional Vulnerability in Histrionic Personality Traits: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Schemas and Emotion Regulation.
1
Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Tabriz
2
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
10.22098/jrp.2026.18816.1345
Abstract
Childhood abuse is a well-established risk factor for increased emotional vulnerability, yet the mechanisms linking early adverse experiences to Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) traits remain insufficiently understood. The present study systematically examines the pathways through which childhood maltreatment and emotional vulnerability contribute to HPD traits, emphasizing the mediating roles of emotional schemas and emotion regulation strategies. The study sample comprised 330 students from the University of Tabriz during the 2024–2025 academic year, selected via a multistage cluster random sampling procedure. Data were collected using the Childhood Abuse Self-Report Scale (CASRS), the Emotional Vulnerability in Childhood Scale (EV-Child), the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III), the Leahy Emotional Schemas Scale (LESS), and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted using SPSS version 22 and AMOS version 22. Results demonstrated that childhood maltreatment was significantly associated with HPD symptoms both directly and indirectly, mediated by the emotional schemas of self-criticism and fear of abandonment, as well as by the emotion regulation strategy of expressive suppression. By delineating these specific cognitive–emotional pathways, the study advances understanding of the development and persistence of HPD and identifies precise, evidence-based targets for clinical interventions aimed at reducing HPD symptoms and improving emotional functioning.
Nazarzadeh Karangan, M. , Mahmoud Alilou, M. and Hashemi Nosratabad, T. (2026). The Relationship Between Childhood Abuse and Emotional Vulnerability in Histrionic Personality Traits: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Schemas and Emotion Regulation.. Journal of Research in Psychopathology, (), -. doi: 10.22098/jrp.2026.18816.1345
MLA
Nazarzadeh Karangan, M. , , Mahmoud Alilou, M. , and Hashemi Nosratabad, T. . "The Relationship Between Childhood Abuse and Emotional Vulnerability in Histrionic Personality Traits: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Schemas and Emotion Regulation.", Journal of Research in Psychopathology, , , 2026, -. doi: 10.22098/jrp.2026.18816.1345
HARVARD
Nazarzadeh Karangan, M., Mahmoud Alilou, M., Hashemi Nosratabad, T. (2026). 'The Relationship Between Childhood Abuse and Emotional Vulnerability in Histrionic Personality Traits: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Schemas and Emotion Regulation.', Journal of Research in Psychopathology, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22098/jrp.2026.18816.1345
CHICAGO
M. Nazarzadeh Karangan , M. Mahmoud Alilou and T. Hashemi Nosratabad, "The Relationship Between Childhood Abuse and Emotional Vulnerability in Histrionic Personality Traits: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Schemas and Emotion Regulation.," Journal of Research in Psychopathology, (2026): -, doi: 10.22098/jrp.2026.18816.1345
VANCOUVER
Nazarzadeh Karangan, M., Mahmoud Alilou, M., Hashemi Nosratabad, T. The Relationship Between Childhood Abuse and Emotional Vulnerability in Histrionic Personality Traits: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Schemas and Emotion Regulation.. Journal of Research in Psychopathology, 2026; (): -. doi: 10.22098/jrp.2026.18816.1345
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