Abstract
Exposure to psychological maltreatment in childhood may affect mental well-being in adulthood. In the literature, there are links between psychological maltreatment, shyness, relationship mindfulness, relationship quality, and mental well-being. However, there is a need to explain the joint nature of these links. We examined the chain mediating role of shyness, relationship mindfulness, and romantic relationship quality on the path from childhood psychological maltreatment to mental well-being in a Turkish sample. The study involved 374 participants. The results of structural equation modelling showed that shyness, relationship mindfulness, romantic relationship quality mediated the relationship between psychological maltreatment and mental well-being. Individuals who have been exposed to psychological maltreatment in childhood are likely to experience shyness because their perceptions of themselves and other individuals are negatively affected. Shyness may also cause individuals' self-awareness to be affected and their relationship quality to decrease. This situation may negatively affect individuals' mental well-being.