Childhood trauma as a predictor of interpersonal distress: The roles of social avoidance and self-identity

Adolescents in junior high school are increasingly becoming self-aware, and the establishment and maintenance of interpersonal relationships have a profound impact on their future interpersonal communication patterns, mental health, and social adaptability. Individuals with traumatic experiences often face certain difficulties in interpersonal communication, making it difficult for them to grow through social interaction and overcome their trauma. Therefore, this study analyzed the effect of social avoidance behavior on the link between childhood trauma and distress in interpersonal relationships among 820 Chinese junior high school students, and also examined the moderating role of self-identity. We found that childhood trauma positively predicted social avoidance, which predicted distress in the interpersonal relationships of junior high school students. Social avoidance played a partial mediating role between childhood trauma and interpersonal relationships, and self-identity moderated this mediating effect, such that higher self-identity weakened the relationship between social avoidance and interpersonal distress.