The relationship between childhood trauma and social anxiety in college students: the mediating role of evaluation fear.

Abstract

Background: Social anxiety has become a common psychological problem that seriously affects the mental health of contemporary youth. Although numerous studies have shown that childhood trauma is closely related to social anxiety in adulthood, the mediating role of evaluation of fear in this relationship remains unclear. This study aims to explore the relationships among childhood trauma, evaluation fear, and social anxiety among college students and their internal pathways.

Methods: In September 2023, a sample of 559 Chinese university students aged 18-22 years (mean age = 20.20, SD = 1.211; 229 males and 330 females) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale, and Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore the initial relationships among the main variables. Structural equation modeling was performed to examine the parallel mediating effects of fear of positive and negative evaluation on the relationship between childhood trauma and social anxiety.

Results: Significant correlations were found among childhood trauma, social anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, and fear of positive evaluation. Childhood trauma significantly and positively predicted both fear of positive evaluation (β = 0.40, p < 0.001) and fear of negative evaluation (β = 0.31, p < 0.001). Fear of positive and negative evaluation also positively predicted social anxiety (β = 0.45, p < 0.001; β = 0.43, p < 0.001, respectively). The parallel mediation effects of fear of positive and negative evaluation on the relationship between childhood trauma and social anxiety were significant (effect size: 0.309, 95% CI = [0.240, 0.380]), with the mediation effects accounting for 60.78% of the total effect.

Conclusion: Fear of positive and negative evaluation plays a mediating role in the impact of childhood trauma on social anxiety. This finding provides a new perspective for understanding the formation mechanism of social anxiety and offers a scientific basis for developing effective intervention strategies.