Examining the Causal Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and Generalized Anxiety Severity: Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Self-critical Belief

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master of General psychology, Department of Psychology, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran

2 Assistant Proffesor Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities. Imam Reza International University, Mashhad,

3 Ph.D. Student in Cognitive Psychology, Department of Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

10.48308/apsy.2025.241649.1907

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to examine the causal relationship between childhood traumatic experiences and generalized anxiety disorder intensity through the mediating roles of emotional regulation difficulty and self-critical beliefs.
Method: The research was descriptive and correlational in nature. The sample consisted of 250 individuals from those who visited counseling centers at private universities in Mashhad, aged between 18 and 60 years, in 2023. These individuals were selected voluntarily. Data were collected using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire (Spitzer et al., 2006), the Childhood Trauma (Bernstein et al., 2003), the Self-Criticism (Thompson & Zuroff, 2004), and Emotion Regulation Difficulty (Gratz & Roemer, 2004). The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 26) and SMARTPLS (version 3).
Results: The results showed that the model had a good fit. In the direct path, all effects were positive and significant (P= 0/001). Additionally, in the indirect path, the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties  (β = 0.136) and self-criticism (β= 0.051) in the relationship between childhood traumatic experiences and the severity of generalized anxiety disorder was confirmed, both being significant (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The results indicated that childhood trauma, emotion regulation difficulties, and self-criticism are important factors, both directly and indirectly, in the severity of generalized anxiety disorder. Therefore, examining these factors should be considered for effective interventions by therapists.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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