Psychological Manipulation as a Stressor: An Empirical Review and Development of a Conceptual Framework for Mental Health

Abstract

Psychological manipulation is manipulative behavior aimed at controlling or influencing the behavior of others for personal gain, which often has negative and detrimental impacts on the victims of the manipulation. In the context of social and professional relationships, this behavior acts as a chronic psychological stressor. This study uses a systematic review of empirical studies on manipulation as a source of stress and develops a conceptual framework linking manipulation to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression and produces a conceptual framework that explains the causal relationships between these variables.