Specificity of mediation by maladaptive cognition in relationship between childhood maltreatment and internalizing and externalizing problems in middle school students
10.3969/j.issn.1000-6729.2025.05.09
- VernacularTitle:中学生非适应性认知在童年期虐待与内外化问题间的中介特异性
- Author:
Sen LI
1
;
Shuangxi ZHANG
;
Shanshan ZHANG
;
Tianyi LIU
Author Information
1. 河北大学教育学院,河北保定 071000
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
childhood maltreatment;
internalizing problems;
externalizing problems;
self;
others;
maladap-tive cognition
- From:
Chinese Mental Health Journal
2025;39(5):435-440
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To explore the specificity of mediating effects of maladaptive cognition about self and maladaptive cognition about others in the context of childhood maltreatment and internalizing and externalizing problems in middle school students.Methods:A total of 788 middle school students from Hebei province were en-rolled in the study.The first data collection utilized the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form(CTQ-SF)and the Posttraumatic Maladaptive Beliefs Scale(PMBS).After a 7-month interval,the second data collection was con-ducted with the Youth Self Report(YSR).The specificity of the mediating effects was examined by using Mplus 7.0 software.Results:Totally 72.3％of middle school students had experienced childhood abuse.Maladaptive cog-nition about self fully mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescent internalizing prob-lems,with a mediation effect size of 0.22(95％CI:0.16-0.27).It partially mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescent externalizing problems,with a mediation effect size of 0.13(95％CI:0.09-0.19).Maladaptive cognition about others only mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescent externalizing problems,with a mediation effect size of-0.07(95％CI:-0.12--0.02),indicating a masking effect.Conclusion:Childhood maltreatment increases the likelihood of internalizing and externalizing prob-lems in middle school students.Childhood maltreatment increases internalizing and externalizing problems by in-creasing their maladaptive cognition of self,and childhood maltreatment increases their externalizing problems by increasing their maladaptive cognition of others.
