Zhang Huoyin, Zhu Xinyi, Zhang Hao, Xie Xin, Wei Erzhan, Huang Wei
School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610066, China.
BMC Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 25;25(1):280. doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-06668-9.
Social anxiety has become a common psychological problem that seriously affects the mental health of contemporary youth. Although numerous studies have shown that childhood trauma is closely related to social anxiety in adulthood, the mediating role of evaluation of fear in this relationship remains unclear. This study aims to explore the relationships among childhood trauma, evaluation fear, and social anxiety among college students and their internal pathways.
In September 2023, a sample of 559 Chinese university students aged 18-22 years (mean age = 20.20, SD = 1.211; 229 males and 330 females) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale, and Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore the initial relationships among the main variables. Structural equation modeling was performed to examine the parallel mediating effects of fear of positive and negative evaluation on the relationship between childhood trauma and social anxiety.
Significant correlations were found among childhood trauma, social anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, and fear of positive evaluation. Childhood trauma significantly and positively predicted both fear of positive evaluation (β = 0.40, p < 0.001) and fear of negative evaluation (β = 0.31, p < 0.001). Fear of positive and negative evaluation also positively predicted social anxiety (β = 0.45, p < 0.001; β = 0.43, p < 0.001, respectively). The parallel mediation effects of fear of positive and negative evaluation on the relationship between childhood trauma and social anxiety were significant (effect size: 0.309, 95% CI = [0.240, 0.380]), with the mediation effects accounting for 60.78% of the total effect.
Fear of positive and negative evaluation plays a mediating role in the impact of childhood trauma on social anxiety. This finding provides a new perspective for understanding the formation mechanism of social anxiety and offers a scientific basis for developing effective intervention strategies.
社交焦虑已成为一个普遍的心理问题，严重影响当代青年的心理健康。尽管众多研究表明童年创伤与成年后的社交焦虑密切相关，但恐惧评价在这种关系中的中介作用仍不明确。本研究旨在探讨大学生童年创伤、评价恐惧和社交焦虑之间的关系及其内在路径。
2023年9月，对559名年龄在18 - 22岁的中国大学生（平均年龄 = 20.20，标准差 = 1.211；男性229名，女性330名）进行了调查，他们完成了童年创伤问卷、莱博维茨社交焦虑量表、积极评价恐惧量表和消极评价恐惧简表。进行相关分析以探索主要变量之间的初始关系。采用结构方程模型检验积极和消极评价恐惧对童年创伤与社交焦虑关系的平行中介效应。
童年创伤、社交焦虑、消极评价恐惧和积极评价恐惧之间存在显著相关性。童年创伤对积极评价恐惧（β = 0.40，p < 0.001）和消极评价恐惧（β = 0.31，p < 0.001）均有显著正向预测作用。积极和消极评价恐惧也正向预测社交焦虑（分别为β = 0.45，p < 0.001；β = 0.43，p < 0.001）。积极和消极评价恐惧对童年创伤与社交焦虑关系的平行中介效应显著（效应量：0.309，95%置信区间 = [0.240, 0.380]），中介效应占总效应的60.78%。
积极和消极评价恐惧在童年创伤对社交焦虑的影响中起中介作用。这一发现为理解社交焦虑的形成机制提供了新视角，并为制定有效的干预策略提供了科学依据。
