Relação entre experiências adversas na infância, vinculação e regulação emocional numa amostra de adultos portugueses

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (EAI) encompass actions or omissions by caregivers that cause harm or risk to the child, such as physical, sexual, and verbal abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic violence, etc. Emotional regulation (ER) involves processes of emotional control, such as the ability to adjust, intensify, or diminish emotional responses. Attachment theory posits that early interactions with caregivers shape attachment styles (EV). This dissertation examines the relationship between EAI, EV, and RE in Portuguese adults. A quantitative approach was adopted. The sample included Portuguese adults over 18 years old who participated in the study. They completed a Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Childhood Adversity History Questionnaire, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale – Short Form (DERS-SF), and the Adult Attachment Scale (AAS). The results indicated a high prevalence of ACEs (61.7%). A higher ACEs score was significantly associated with greater difficulties in ER and an insecure attachment style. The study's central finding emerged from the mediation analysis: difficulties in ER fully mediated the relationship between ACEs and the likelihood of an insecure AS. Testing an alternative model, with AS as the mediator, revealed only partial mediation, reinforcing the centrality of ER as a procedural mechanism. It is concluded that the impact of early adversity on adult relational patterns operates primarily through the impairment of ER skills. These findings underscore the importance of clinical interventions focused on emotion regulation to mitigate the effects of developmental trauma.

Date of Award	27 Jan 2026
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Diana Patrícia da Silva Dias Moreira (Supervisor)