Psychological maltreatment and loneliness in Chinese children: a moderated mediation model of psychological suzhi and perceived social support

Psychological maltreatment has been shown to be positively associated with loneliness, and both are linked to children’s mental health. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between psychological maltreatment and children’s loneliness remain insufficiently understood. Perceived social support is linked to psychological maltreatment and may serve as a protective factor against loneliness, and psychological suzhi has been described as an essential and stable psychological quality that may moderate the effects of external factors on an individual’s mental health. Thus, this study proposes and explores a moderated mediation model of psychological suzhi and perceived social support. The data were collected from a sample of 1122 students (550 boys, 572 girls) aged 9–13 years in China, and statistical analysis was done with SPSS 26.0. Results indicated that perceived social support partially mediated the association between psychological maltreatment and loneliness, while psychological suzhi weakened the indirect relationship between psychological maltreatment and loneliness via perceived social support. Research has indicated that psychological maltreatment may undermine perceived social support, which in turn relates to high levels of loneliness. Psychological suzhi may influence the detrimental effect of psychological maltreatment on perceived social support, and the protective effect of perceived social support on loneliness. These findings provide insights into potential directions for interventions and preventative actions aimed at Chinese children who have experienced psychological maltreatment.