The Effect Of Childhood Abuse On Negative Emotions In College Students

Emotion has always been the focus of attention in the field of psychology.Excessive negative emotional experience will not only damage the physical and mental health of individuals,but also adversely affect their social function and life development.From the perspective of childhood abuse,some researchers have explored the influence and mechanism of childhood abuse on adult emotional problems.However,the relevant research results have not yet drawn a unified conclusion,which needs to be further explored.Based on the ecosystem theory of human development and self-determinism,this study examined the effects of childhood abuse on negative emotions,as well as the mechanisms of security and friendship quality.Childhood Trauma Questionnaire(28 item Short Form,CTQ-SF),Security Questionnaire(SQ),Friendship Quality Inventory(FQI),and The Short-Form Version of The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales(DASS–21)were used to test 750 college students from two universities in Tianjin.The average age of the participants was 18.23 years old(SD=0.65).There were 244 male(34.4%)and 466 female(65.6%)students.The results showed that:(1)The positive detection rate of depression,anxiety and stress was 19.6%,36.8% and25.5%,respectively.(2)There were statistically significant differences in the degree of depression and stress among college students of different genders.The degree of depression and stress of female students was higher than that of male students.However,there was no statistical significance in the degree of anxiety among college students of different genders.(3)Childhood abuse can significantly positively predict college students' negative emotions(depression,anxiety,stress);(4)The sense of security plays a mediating role in the relationship between childhood abuse and college students' negative emotions.Childhood abuse affects college students' negative emotions through the sense of security;(5)Friendship quality moderated the first half of the mediating model,i.e.friendship quality moderated the relationship between childhood abuse and security.Under the condition of high and low friendship quality,childhood abuse was significantly negative predictor of security,but among college students with higher friendship quality,childhood abuse had a stronger negative predictor of security;(6)The moderated mediating effect model was only valid in female subjects,but not in male subjects.To sum up,the following educational suggestions are proposed:(1)Colleges and universities should use scientific means to do a good job in the general testing of the mental health of college students,focus on strengthening the psychological attention of students with childhood abuse experience,and take precise measures for students of different genders.(2)Guide parents to establish a good parent-child relationship to ensure the basic material and spiritual needs of children.(3)Promote the prevention and intervention of mental health,and establish a comprehensive protection system of the state,society,family and school.