The wide variety of reasons for feeling guilty in adults: findings from a large cross-sectional web-based survey.

BACKGROUND: Experiencing some sort of guilt is a common phenomenon in adulthood. As feeling guilty is usually unpleasant and may even lead to further negative psychological consequences like depression, the aim of this study was to provide comprehensive information on the reasons for such feelings in adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted between May 2019 and April 2020, collecting qualitative information on reasons for feeling guilty in n = 604 adults (mean/SD age = 45.3/16.4 years; n = 346/57.3% women, n = 255/42.2% men and n = 3/0.5% adults without identification with a particular gender). Stated reasons were inductively classified into (super-)/categories, and information on frequency and percentage (total, gender- and age-specific) for each of these (super-)/categories was provided. RESULTS: Participants altogether stated 1515 reasons for feeling guilty that were classified into 12 supercategories and 49 categories. "Telling lies/withholding truth/information" followed by "Not spending (enough) time with family (members)/Not taking (enough) care of family (members)/not being there for family (members)" were the most frequent categories of reasons for feeling guilty in the sample. Guilt feelings explicitly referring to "religious beliefs" or a "subjectively perceived more general responsibility'" (e.g., for society, humankind, problems of the world), by contrast, were of minor importance. Male and female participants as well as participants of different ages showed similarities but also several differences in stated reasons for feeling guilty. Female participants, for example, more often experienced feelings of guilt related to family members, children and to some kind of general responsibility for the wellbeing of others, whereas male participants felt guilty more often because of some kind of misconduct/mistakes being made or because of difficulties in marriage/relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Adults can feel guilty for a wide variety of different reasons. Most reasons seem to be rather concrete (e.g., related to concrete negative self-attributions/flaws or to concrete social situations with concrete individuals). There also seem to be some age- and gender-related differences in reasons for feeling guilty.

Sentimiento de culpa y malestar psicológico en víctimas de violencia de género / Feeling of guilt and psychological discomfort in victims of gender violence

Resumen. La violencia de género tiene graves consecuencias para la salud de las mujeres y sus efectos se agravan cuando el maltrato se ha producido a lo largo del ciclo vital. Además, puede desarrollar en las víctimas sentimientos de culpa que influyen negativamente en su salud mental. El objetivo del presente trabajo consiste en analizar la influencia de la polivictimización (infantil, intrafamiliar y de pareja) en el desarrollo de sentimientos de culpa y las implicaciones que dicha culpa tiene en el malestar psicológico en una muestra de víctimas nicaragüenses. La muestra, con una edad media de 31.7 años (DT = 8.9), está formada por 129 víctimas de violencia de género de Nicaragua, un colectivo de difícil acceso que ha padecido distintas formas de polivictimización desde la infancia. Para el trabajo se utilizó la escala Kessler y el Listado de Sucesos Vitales Estresantes. Los resultados muestran que el desarrollo de sentimientos de culpa se asocia al historial de maltrato e influye en la salud de las víctimas, quienes presentan mayores niveles de ansiedad y depresión que quienes no se sienten culpables. Conocer la problemática permite su consideración en los procesos de intervención en quienes han padecido violencia de género y diversas formas de polivictimización a lo largo de su ciclo vital.

Abstract. Gender-based violence has serious consequences for women's health and its effects are aggravated when abuse has occurred throughout the life cycle. In addition, it can develop in victims' feelings of guilt that negatively influence their mental health. The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of polyvictimization (child, intrafamily, and partner) on the development of feelings of guilt and the implications that such guilt has on psychological distress in a sample of Nicaraguan victims. The sample, with a mean age of 31.7 years (SD = 8.9), is made up of 129 victims of gender-based violence from Nicaragua, a group of difficult access that has suffered different forms of polyvictimization since childhood. For the work, the Kessler scale and the List of Stressful Life Events were used. The results show that the development of feelings of guilt is associated with the history of abuse and influences the health of the victims, who present higher levels of anxiety and depression than those who do not feel guilty. Knowing the problem allows its consideration in the intervention processes in those who have suffered gender violence and various forms of polyvictimization throughout their life cycle.