Childhood Maltreatment and Mindfulness: Implications for Older Adult’s Marital Outcomes

Childhood maltreatment has well-established links to poorer marital functioning. Mindfulness has been shown to improve marital relationships and may buffer the effects of maltreatment. Using the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) data, the current study examined whether mindfulness buffered the effects of maltreatment on marital quality, support, and strain in a sample of 560 married men and women. Moderation analysis revealed that mindfulness buffered the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adults’ marital quality, marital support, and marital strain. Mindfulness-based interventions may help adults who were maltreated improve their relationships. Clinical implications are discussed