Högskolan i Skövde

Emotional abuse is a pervasive yet often overlooked form of intimate partner violence (IPV) characterized by persistent humiliation, manipulation, and coercive control. Although it leaves no visible injuries, chronic exposure to psychological threat may disrupt neurobiological systems involved in stress regulation and emotional processing. The present systematic review aimed to synthesize empirical evidence on the psychological, cognitive, and neurobiological effects of emotional abuse in adult intimate partner relationships and to examine whether post-traumatic growth (PTG) is supported in this population. A systematic search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science for peer-reviewed studies published in English. Studies were included if they examined adults exposed to emotional or psychological abuse and assessed neurobiological outcomes using neuroimaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI (fMRI), or diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Four neuroimaging studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings indicated alterations in white matter integrity, fronto-limbic connectivity, and functional activation patterns in regions associated with emotional regulation, cognitive control, and memory processing. Psychological literature consistently linked emotional abuse to depression, anxiety, diminished self-concept, and betrayal sensitivity. Evidence also suggested that PTG may occur alongside distress, particularly in domains of personal strength and autonomy. Although limited by cross-sectional designs and heterogeneous operationalizations of emotional abuse, the findings suggest that emotional abuse may be associated with measurable neural and psychological alterations.