Fear of Negative Evaluation among College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Anxiety Sensitivity

Fear of negative evaluation (FNE) impacts adolescent young adult (AYA) college students' mental health through impaired academic and social performance. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are prevalent among college students and may play a role in exacerbating FNE symptoms. Early life stressors are associated with anxiety sensitivity (AS) which may contribute to the development or worsening of FNE. We examined predictors of FNE among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, hypothesizing that AS would mediate the relationship between ACEs and FNE. Participants were 192 students (<i>M</i> _<i>age</i> =19.90, <i>SD</i> = 1.26; 66.7% female; 78.6% non-Hispanic White) from a public, midwestern university. Participants completed demographics, ACEs, AS, and FNE questionnaires during March and April of 2020. AS fully mediated the relation between ACEs and FNE. Students who experienced greater ACEs reported increased AS and FNE. Findings suggest AS may be a help prevent further psychological distress from FNE among students who have been impacted by childhood adversity.