ABSTRACT
The chapter begins with a monologue highlighting the consequences of trusting too little for fostering loneliness. The research confirms that holding low trust beliefs predisposes persons to various forms of psychological adjustment including internalized maladjustment (i.e., loneliness and depression), externalizing problems (i.e., aggression), and low prosociality (low helpfulness) and poor health. The chapter reviews studies confirming that also holding very high trust beliefs predisposes individuals to show some forms of psychosocial maladjustment. The chapter includes evidence for the effects of low trust beliefs, as part of the social withdrawal syndrome, on eating problems (bulimia nervosa, obesity, and anorexia nervosa). Finally, the chapter concludes with a review of research demonstrating that trust plays a role in suicidality.
