PhD defence Eline Helena Maria Johanna Hendriks
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Peter Muris (P.E.H.M.)
Co-supervisor: Dr. Cor (C.M.G.)
Keywords: Guilt, Shame, Psychopathology, Social withdrawal
"What a shame! Self-conscious emotions, social evaluation, and psychopathology in childhood and adolescence"
Why do some children and adolescents experience more shame or guilt than others, and when are these emotions associated with mental health problems? This dissertation addressed these questions across four studies involving children and adolescents. The findings show that how young people interpret and cope with negative experiences is particularly important for shame and guilt. Self-critical coping showed stronger associations than many of the parenting factors examined. Children who perceived themselves as inferior also experienced stronger shame following negative social evaluations. Furthermore, shame and guilt showed distinct associations with mental health problems. Greater shame-proneness was primarily associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and social withdrawal, whereas lower guilt-proneness was associated with aggression and behavioral problems. Shame and insecure attachment were also associated with more severe social withdrawal. These findings highlight the importance of considering both shame and guilt when understanding and addressing mental health difficulties in children and adolescents.
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