The mediating role of mentalization in the relationship between childhood traumas and somatization among asthma diagnosed patients: A controlled study

Objective: This study aims to compare a group of asthma patients with a group of healthy individuals with respect to childhood traumas, mentalization and somatization levels and to examine the possible mediating role of mentalization in the relationship between childhood traumas and somatization among asthma patients. Method: The sample consists of 149 patients between 18-76 years of age (41.94±14.19) in the asthma group and 167 participants between 18-72 years of age (41.67±13.95) in the control group. The majority of the asthma group comprise females (74.5%), married (61.1%), high school/university graduates (51.7%), with no job (61.7%), and a moderate income (52.3%), while the majority of the control group include females (73.1%), married (65.3%), high school/university graduates (58.7%), with no job (50.9%), and a moderate income (56.9%). A Sociodemographic Characteristics and Other Information Form, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Mentalization Scale and the Somatization Scale are applied to all participants. The study data are analyzed with chi-square analysis, the independent samples t-test, Mann Whitney U test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, hierarchical regression analysis and PROCESS mediation effect analysis. Results: The findings of the study reveal that the total scores of childhood trauma and somatization of the asthma group are significantly higher whereas the total scores on mentalization are significantly lower than the control group. Somatization in asthma patients is predicted positively by childhood traumas and negatively by mentalization. Besides, a partial mediating role of mentalization is observed in the relationship between childhood traumas and somatization in asthma patients. Conclusion: Asthma patients are observed to have higher levels of childhood trauma and somatization and lower levels of mentalization. Besides, childhood traumas and mentalization have a predictive effect on somatization symptoms in asthma patients. As a result of the mediation effect analysis, in asthma patients it is observed that mentalization has a partial mediating role in the relationship between childhood traumas and somatization, and an increase in childhood traumas is associated with a decrease in mentalization skills and this decrease is associated with an increase in somatization symptoms. Key words: Somatization, Asthma, Childhood Trauma, Mentalization, Mediating Role.