The Relationship between Trauma and Psychological Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Fear of Happiness and Alexithymia

Aim and Background:

Psychological well-being consists of autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, and purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Numerous factors especially childhood trauma and psychological well-being. Besides this relationship does not seem direct and is influenced by other variables such as fear of happiness and alexithymia. The aim of this research was assessing the mediating role of fear of happiness and alexithymia in relation to trauma and psychological well-being.

Methods and Materials:

In a descriptive—correlation study, a sample of 262 students from Alborz and Science and Culture Universities were selected by convenience sampling. Participants answered the battery of questionnaires including psychological well-being, fear of happiness scale (FHS), Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS), childhood traumatic Questionnaire (CTQ). Data were analyses using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) by LISREL 8.85 software. For evaluating the descriptive statistics SPSS 24 was used as well.

The analyses revealed that hypothetical model fit the measurement model (RMSEA= 0.55, CFI= 0.92, X2/df= 2.588). The results of the analysis showed that childhood trauma by mediating roles of alexithymia and fear of happiness were able to predict the psychological well- being, so that fear of happiness and alexithymia predicted psychological well-being positively and indirectly.

Based on the study, it can be concluded that fear of happiness and alexithymia are mediating the relation of childhood trauma and psychological well-being. Consisting this effect can be useful for improving individual well-being and also can be effective for intervention of childhood traumas.