Studying the Incremental Validity of Family Environment among Maltese University Students with Past Mental Trauma

This study tried to establish the incremental validity of family environment among Maltese university students in view of childhood mental trauma, highlighted mainly through past abuse. Participants (N = 312) completed the Brief Adjective Rating Scale, a personality measure based on the five-factor model of personality, the Family Environment Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, which covers all aspects of abuse and neglect, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale, a cognitive well-being scale. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the family environment’s relationship dimension explained 35% of the variance for the subjective well-being component, over and above the contribution of key variables such as personality. This study replicates classic research on the important role that family environment plays in children’s holistic development. The study strongly suggests that the inclusion of family environment offers a better and more holistic perspective on the reality of child abuse and its consequences.