Object Relations and Psychopathology Among Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse

This study examined the relationship between object relations and psychopathology in a community sample of 60 formerly maltreated adults. Thirty-nine women and 21 men with histories of physical and/or sexual abuse were administered the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT; Murray, 1943). TAT stories were coded for object relations using Westen and colleagues' (1985) Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale. Simultaneous multiple regression analyses revealed that having a lower capacity to invest in relationships in an emotionally and mutually engaging manner significantly contributed to higher levels of posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology. In addition, viewing the world as malevolent and characterized by threatening and painful interactions with others was the most potent predictor of low self-esteem. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.