Emotional Abuse and Psychological Well-Being of College Students

Abstract

Emotional abused is said to be hard to detect because of its covert nature, but it can cause in developing different psychological problems in later life. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the emotional abuse and the psychological well-being of select college students, specifically those who are enrolled in one of the state universities in Laguna, Philippines. An online survey was distributed through social media platforms comprising 205 respondents, 60 males and 145 females. The findings showed that the level of emotional abuse of respondents as to aggressing, denying, and minimizing are moderate levels while the psychological well-being as to autonomy, environmental mastery, and positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance all with moderate level but personal growth has a high level. Furthermore, test of relationship showed that age is positively correlated to the aggressing and minimizing as well as autonomy, personal growth, and positive relations. All variables of emotional abuse (aggressing, denying, and minimizing) are positively correlated to all indicators of psychological well-being (autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations, purpose in life, and self-acceptance). Further studies are encouraged to identify the other causes of emotional abuse and its preventative measures, and other factors that affect the psychological well-being of students.

Keywords

• emotional abuse
• psychological well being
• college students
• acceptance
• family
• community