The relationship between adverse childhood experiences and attachment styles to pain sensitivity: Mediating role of rejection sensitivity and trait anxiety

Pain, which is defined as a biological, social and psychological experience, is a common problem in almost every culture due to its multidisciplinary nature. It is known that high pain sensitivity has an important role in the chronicity of pain. Some of the social and psychological risk factors associated with pain sensitivity are; adverse childhood experiences, adult insecure attachment styles, rejection sensitivity and anxiety. The main purpose of this study, to determine the mediating roles of rejection sensitivity and trait anxiety in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences, adult anxious attachment style, adult avoidant attachment style and pain sensitivity. The sample of the study consists of 252 people (182 women, 70 men) between the ages of 18-63 (mean age=29.50, SS=10.29). The Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (ACE) was used to determine exposure to negative childhood experiences, the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory-2 (YİYE-II) to determine attachment styles, the Adult Rejection Sensitivity Scale (YRDÖ) to determine rejection sensitivity, The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ-T) to determine pain sensitivity and the State-Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI-S, STAI-T) to determine the anxiety scores were asked to be filled. Results showed that the mediating effect of rejection sensitivity and trait anxiety in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and pain sensitivity was significant. This result shows that the increase in adverse childhood experiences is associated with an increase in pain sensitivity through high rejection sensitivity and high trait anxiety. Moreover, the mediating effect of rejection sensitivity and trait anxiety in the relationship between adult anxious attachment style and pain sensitivity was found to be significant. This result shows that the increase in the adult anxious attachment style is associated with the increase in pain sensitivity through high rejection sensitivity and high trait anxiety. Results showed that the mediating effect of rejection sensitivity and trait anxiety was found to be significant in the relationship between adult avoidant attachment style and pain sensitivity. This result shows that increase in adult avoidant attachment style is associated with increased pain sensitivity through high rejection sensitivity and high trait anxiety. Finally, the limitations of the results and suggestions for future studies are shared.