ERIC Number: EJ1479674
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0744-8481
EISSN: EISSN-1940-3208
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Emotion Regulation as a Mediator in the Relationship between Childhood Maltreatment and Symptoms of Social Anxiety among College Students
Katharine E. Musella1; Maria C. DiFonte2; Rebecca Michel1; Amy Stamates1; Ellen Flannery-Schroeder1
Journal of American College Health, v73 n6 p2643-2650 2025
Objective: The current study explored emotion regulation strategies (ie, suppression, cognitive reappraisal, experiential avoidance) as mediators in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and social anxiety. Participants: One hundred and ninety-three undergraduate students (M[subscript age] = 19.5 years; 83.9% female) were recruited from a public university in the northeastern United States. Methods: Participants completed measures assessing childhood maltreatment, emotion regulation strategies, and social anxiety. Results: Structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediation paths. Childhood maltreatment was negatively associated with cognitive reappraisal and experiential avoidance, and positively associated with suppression. Higher suppression was associated with higher social anxiety, and higher experiential avoidance was associated with lower social anxiety. The association between childhood maltreatment and symptoms of social anxiety was mediated by suppression and experiential avoidance, but not cognitive reappraisal. All other paths were nonsignificant. Conclusions: Findings suggest that treatments for childhood maltreatment should aim to bolster experiential avoidance and minimize suppression to address social anxiety symptoms.
Descriptors: Emotional Response, Self Control, Child Abuse, Anxiety, Undergraduate Students, Correlation, Student Characteristics, Psychological Patterns, Behavior
Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Psychology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA; 2Anxiety Disorders Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, Connecticut, USA

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