Explanation and prediction of mental health and self-satisfaction based on childhood trauma

Introduction:

 Adverse childhood experiences/childhood trauma is a sensitive topic that is rarely addressed. However, childhood trauma can lead to personality change and mental health instability in adulthood; In this regard, the present study was conducted with the aim of explaining and predicting mental health and self-satisfaction based on childhood trauma.

In a descriptive-correlational design, 440 students were selected as a research sample in a multi-stage cluster method among the students studying at the Islamic Azad University of Garmsar branch in the second half of the academic year 1401-1402. Data collection was done using Goldberg et al.'s general health questionnaire, Abbas-Nia's self-satisfaction and Bernstein et al.'s short form of childhood trauma questionnaire.

The research results showed that childhood trauma can only explain and predict mental health. So that emotional abuse and emotional neglect were able to explain 21% of anxiety and sleep disorder. 19% of the impairment in social functions was explained by emotional abuse, physical abuse and emotional neglect. 10% of physical symptoms could be explained by the dimensions of sexual abuse and emotional neglect, and finally 7% of depression could be explained by emotional neglect. Another finding of the research showed that among the dimensions of childhood trauma, only sexual abuse can explain 4% of the variance of self-satisfaction in students.

This finding has important consequences in how to understand and treat psychological problems and self-satisfaction in people with trauma experience in clinical environments.