Childhood Experiences and Depressive Symptoms- Suicidal tendencies: A Mediating Role of Rumination and Thwarted Belongingness

Adverse childhood experiences are consistently associated with psychiatric problems in children and adults. However, the long-term effects of childhood experiences on mental health in adulthood have not been studied. Therefore the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between childhood experiences and depressive symptom-suicidal tendencies with the mediating role of rumination and thwarted belongingness.

This descriptive study using structural equation model. The statistical sample of this study included 650 students that studying at Mohaghegh Ardabil University in the 2020 academic and were selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected using Joiner Depression Symptom-Suicidality Questionnaire (with Cronbach's alpha coefficient and convergent validity of 0.91 and 0.74), Hill & Pettit with Cronbach's alpha coefficient and convergent validity of 0.88 and 0.84, O’Connor & Williams umination with Cronbach's alpha coefficient and convergent validity 0.79 and 0.75) and childhood experiences of Kaiser foundation and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with Cronbach's alpha coefficient and convergent validity 0.91 and 0.87) were used. Data were analyzed using structural equations and confirmatory factor analysis by using SPSS 25 and AMOS 24 software.

Finally, the data of 600 participants with a mean age of 23.09±4.44 years were analyzed. The direct effect of childhood experiences on rumination and depressive suicidal symptoms was significant positive (p<0.001). Also, the direct effect of childhood experiences on negative belonging was significant (P<0.001). but there was a significant negative direct effect between belonging and depression suicidal symptoms and a positive direct effect between rumination and depression suicidal symptoms (P<0.05). Also, the indirect effect of childhood experiences through rumination and belonging on depressive symptom-suicidal symptoms was significant (p<0.001).

based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that rumination and belonging play a mediating role between childhood experiences and. depressive-Suicidal symptoms.