The Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and Sense of Coherence Based on the Mediating Role of Emotional Schemas in Adolescents with Risky Behaviors
Keywords:
Childhood trauma, Sense of coherence, Emotional schemas, Adolescents, Risky behaviorsAbstract
Purpose: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between childhood trauma and sense of coherence based on the mediating role of emotional schemas in adolescents exhibiting risky behaviors.
Materials and Methods: This research employed a descriptive/analytical correlational design. The statistical population consisted of all adolescents with risky behaviors who had sought help from counseling centers affiliated with the Welfare Organization, psychological service centers, and neighborhood houses in Tehran during the 2024–2025 academic year. A total of 324 participants were selected using the minimum sample size calculation method for structural equation modeling and based on convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (Bernstein et al., 2003), the Sense of Coherence Scale (Antonovsky, 1987), the Iranian Youth Risk-Taking Scale (Zadeh Mohammadi et al., 2011), and the Emotional Schemas Questionnaire (Leahy, 2007). Descriptive and Spearman correlation analyses were performed using SPSS version 27, and path analysis was conducted using SmartPLS version 4.
Findings: The results indicated that childhood trauma had a significant and negative direct effect on emotional schemas (β = -0.748, p < .001). Additionally, childhood trauma had a significant and negative direct effect on sense of coherence (β = -0.765, p < .001). Furthermore, childhood trauma had a significant and negative indirect effect on sense of coherence through emotional schemas (β = -0.119, p < .001).
Conclusion: Therefore, psychological interventions following childhood trauma should prioritize the modification of emotional schemas and the enhancement of the sense of coherence in order to mitigate the negative impacts of such experiences and promote mental health.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Solmaz Dabiri (Author); Hossein Ebrahimi Moghaddam (Corresponding author); Narges Babakhani (Author)
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