Rebuilding wellbeing: Understanding the role of self-criticism, anger rumination, and death distress after the February 6, 2023, Türkiye Earthquake.

This study investigated self-criticism, anger rumination, and death distress in wellbeing after one of the most devastating natural disasters of this century. The study included 399 participants from 56 different cities across Türkiye. Participants were from 3 groups: those who themselves or one of their nuclear families are earthquake survivors (group 1), those who had a loved one other than a nuclear family member who was an earthquake survivor (group 2), and those who were deeply affected by the earthquake through media networks (group 3). Results showed that women experienced higher death distress and anger rumination and lower mental wellbeing compared to men post-earthquake. Individuals in group 1 had significantly lower mental wellbeing and higher death distress than groups 2 and 3. However, the effect size of this significant differentiation depending on earthquake experience was small. Moreover, anger rumination and death distress fully mediated the link between self-criticism and mental wellbeing.

Self-criticism and romantic relationship satisfaction as serial mediators of links between childhood psychological maltreatment and loneliness.

BACKGROUND: Psychological maltreatment may be one of the causes of adults' loneliness despite having a partner. There are some links between psychological maltreatment, self-criticism, relationship satisfaction, and loneliness in the literature. But the nature of these links requires further explanation. OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the serial mediation role of self-criticism and romantic relationship satisfaction on the pathway from childhood psychological maltreatment to loneliness, in a Turkish sample. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS: In total 403 individuals (Female = 294, Male = 109) participated from 53 different cities in Türkiye. Participants were either dating (65.8 %), had a fiancée (4 %), or were married (30.3 %). METHOD: The data was collected using Psychological Maltreatment Questionnaire, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Self-criticism Rumination Scale, and the Relationship Assessment Scale. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling results indicated that self-criticism and romantic relationship satisfaction fully mediated the impact of psychological maltreatment on loneliness. The model was a good fit [χ2 (29, N = 403) = 63.846, p < .001; χ2/df = 2.20; SRMR = 0.061; RMSEA = 0.055; GFI = 0.969; CFI = 0.979; NFI = 0.963; IFI = 0.979]. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood experiences of psychological maltreatment can continue to haunt individuals, even as adults. Although being in a relationship can help individuals with their loneliness, psychologically maltreated adults may feel lonely in their relationships due to self-criticism and dissatisfaction. Interventions focused on childhood psychological maltreatment and self-criticism may help lonely adults. Along with this focus, relationship satisfaction can be addressed in family/couple counseling.