Table 2 Supercategories/categories of stated reasons for feeling guilty
Supercategory/category | Examples of statements made by the study participants |
|---|---|
1 Feelings of guilt related to partner/spouse | |
1.1 Divorce/break up | “Breaking-up with partner.”; “Leaving my wife for a colleague.” |
1.2 Cheating/having affair(s) | “I cheated on my husband.”; “I kissed a woman other than my partner.” |
1.3 Changing/lacking feelings in relationship/marriage | “I started a relationship without feelings.”; “I don’t love my husband and just stand everything.” |
1.4 Problems/issues in relationship/marriage (general; other than 1.1–1.3) | “Neglected my husband.”; “Spending too much time for own interests in marriage.” |
2 Feelings of guilt related to child(ren) | |
2.1 Termination of contact to child(ren) | “Having no contact to my daughter.”; “Haven’t seen my daughter for 25 years.” |
2.2 Not spending (enough) time with child(ren)/Not taking (enough) care of child(ren)/not being there for child(ren) | “Not enough time spent with my child.”; “Going back to work soon after giving birth.” |
2.3 Faults in education/misbehavior towards child(ren) | “Being too strict with my children.”; “Smoked in the presence of my children.” |
2.4 Certain living conditions of child(ren) | “My son is a child of divorce.”; “Children have to manage with little money.” |
2.5 Other/unspecific reasons for feelings of guilt towards child(ren) | “I feel guilty, when I cannot keep my promises to my children.”; “Feelings of guilt towards my children.” |
3 Feelings of guilt related to family (members) | |
3.1 Termination of contact to family (members) | “No contact to family.”; “No contact to sister.” |
3.2 Not spending (enough) time with family (members)/Not taking (enough) care of family (members)/not being there for family (members) | “Do not take enough care for my widowed mother.”; “Don’t have enough time for my family.” |
3.3 Misbehavior towards/bad thinking of family (members) | “I treated my parents disrespectfully.”; “Did hurt brother.” |
3.4 Conflict/argument with family (members) | “Argument with my sister.”; “Conflicts with my parents.” |
3.5 Disappointing/belying expectations of family (members) | “My parents pay a lot of money for my university study, but I have bad grades.”; “Having disappointed my father.” |
3.6 Certain living conditions of family (members) | “Mother in nursing home.”; “Had to move far away because of my job – bad for family.” |
3.7 Other/unspecific reasons for feelings of guilt towards family (members) | “Family matters.”; “Situation in family.” |
4 Feelings of guilt related to other people (not specifically spouse/partner, children or family members) | |
4.1 Neglecting someone/not taking (enough) care of someone/not being there for someone | “I neglected a friend.“; “Supported friends not enough.“ |
4.2 Misbehavior towards/bad thinking of someone | “Taking advantage of people.”; “I said hurtful words to someone.” |
4.3 Conflict/argument/communication problem with someone | “Argument with a person.”; “Argument with friends.” |
4.4 Disappointing/Belying expectations of someone | “Having disappointed someone.”; “Because of the feeling of not belying the expectations of others.” |
4.5 Not helping someone | “I promised someone to help moving, but then I didn’t do it.”; “Didn’t help a person, I was close to.” |
4.6 Feelings of guilt related to people at work (colleagues, employees, superiors, clients, customers etc.) | “Dispute with coworker.“; “I am not sufficiently available for all of my customers.” |
5 Feelings of guilt related to animals1 | “I was cruel to animals in my childhood.“; “The death of my she-dog last year.” |
6 Feelings of guilt related to a subjectively perceived responsibility | |
6.1 For life (situations, events, circumstances) and death (circumstances) of others/for not being able to help/support | “I couldn’t prevent the suicide of my mother.”; “For the severe heart disease of my child.” |
6.2 For own diseases/own disorders/own traumatic experiences | “I am sick too often.”; “Didn’t defend myself against being raped.“ |
6.3 For surviving | “I survived cancer. Others are dying of it.“; “My brother died when he was a kid and I live.“ |
6.4 For having a better life than other people/Doing not enough against the problems on the world | “That I live at the expense of the people in the Third World.”; “Doing little for the environment.“ |
7 Feelings of guilt related to religious beliefs (committing sins; misconduct in the eyes of God)1 | “I broke God’s commandments.“; “Sins.” |
8 Feelings of guilt related to certain circumstances | |
8.1 Being dependent on someone | “Living on my parents’ money.”; “Because always someone has to give me ride.“ |
8.2 Financial situation/debts/handling of finances | “I owed a friend money.”; “Credits.” |
8.3 Situation/problems at work | “I didn`t do my job properly.”; “Didn’t finish my work in time.” |
8.4 Unemployment/incapacity for work/early retirement | “Lost my job.”; “Because I’m unemployed and don’t find a job.” |
9 Feelings of guilt related to misconduct/mistakes being made | |
9.1 Stealing something | “Stole a toy from my cousin.”; “Stole something from a store, when I was a kid.” |
9.2 Criminal acts/infringement (not or not specifically stealing) | “Criminal behaviour.”; “Fraud.” |
9.3 Telling lies/withholding truth/information | “Lied to my best friend.”; “Concealment of an event that has taken place and subsequent lies.” |
9.4 Betraying someone/being indiscrete/committing a breach of confidence | “Gave away a secret.”; “Betrayal.” |
9.5 Self-inflicted accidents/damages | “Self-inflicted car accident.”; “Car accident – talked too much as co-driver – driver was distracted.” |
9.6 Other/unspecific misconduct/mistakes being made | “Behaved unethically.”; “Misconduct.” |
10 Feelings of guilt related to decisions (having made bad/ wrong decisions; regretting decisions; being uncertain about decisions)1 | “I made the wrong decision concerning my profession.“; “Abortion.” |
11 Feelings of guilt related to negative self-attributions/flaws | |
11.1 Not achieving something/failure | “I do not make something of my life (abandoned several study programs, no vocational training….”; “I didn’t finish my dissertation.” |
11.2 Procrastination/waste of time/being lazy/inactive/powerless/ unmotivated | “Didn’t help enough with the housework.”; “Procrastination concerning important tasks.” |
11.3 Unfavourable health behavior/self-indulgence | “I do smoke.”; “I don’t take enough care for my body.” |
11.4 Being unable to cope with something | “Cannot handle the disease of my husband.”; “My son – 17 – has Asperger’s syndrome. Because of him, I am often stretched to my limits. Sometimes, I would like to put him into a facility.” |
11.5 Being unpunctional/unreliable/forgetful | “Unpunctuality.”; “Forgetting important things/appointments.” |
11.6 Being selfish/egoistic/egocentric | “Egoism.”; “I am too self-centered.” |
11.7 Being not empathetic | “Not enough empathy.”; “Lack of empathy.” |
11.8 Being unfair | “Being not fair.”; “Unfairness.” |
11.9 Being envious/jealous | “Being joyful, when I have better grades than my fellow students.”; “Sibling jealousy.” |
11.10 Being impulsive/angry | “Being impulsive against certain people.”; “When I sometimes got hot-tempered and thus couldn’t control myself.” |
11.11 Being anxious | “Fears of failure.”; “Being anxious.” |
11.12 Being dissatisfied | “Dissatisfaction.”; “Self-inflicted dissatisfaction.” |
11.13 Other/unspecific negative self-attributions/flaws | “Having been naïve and trustful.”; “Personality.” |
12 General, unspecific, or vaguely formulated reasons for feelings of guilt1 | “General reasons.”; “Life in general.” |