Chinese Mental Health Journal 2015;(6):457-462

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-6729.2015.06.011

Mediating effect of inferiority feelings on relationship between childhood trauma and fear of intimacy in college students

Yun JI ; Bin ZHAO ; Yanjie MA

Keywords

fear of intimacy; childhood trauma; feeling of inferiority; mediating effect

Country

China

Language

Chinese

Abstract

Objective:To explore the mediating effect of inferiority feelings on the relationship between child-hood trauma and fear of intimacy in college students.Methods:Totally 420 college students (72 males and 324 fe-males,aged 18 to 24)from Langfang Normal School were assessed with the Feelings of Inadequacy Scale(FIS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire(CTQ)and Fear-of-Intimacy Scale(FIS).The regression analysis and Bootstrap were used to test the mediating effect of inferiority feelings on the relationship between childhood trauma and fear of intimacy.Results:The total scores of CTQ and the scores of 4 childhood trauma factors were positively correla-ted with fear of intimacy score and feeling of inferiority score(r =0.18 -0.55,Ps <0.05).Feeling of inferiority scores were positively correlated with fear of intimacy scores (r =0.24 -0.44,Ps <0.05).The childhood trauma was positively associated with fear of intimacy (β=0.31,P <0.01).In addition,feeling of inferiority fully media-ted the relationship between childhood trauma and fear of intimacy,the value of mediating effect was 34%.Conclu-sion:Feeling of inferiority may play a mediating role between childhood trauma and fear of intimacy in college students.