The mediating role of automatic thought and cognitive emotion regulation strategies on relationships among childhood abuse, behavioral problems and resilience of adolescents

The purpose of this research is to examine the mediating role of the automatic thoughts and cognitive emotion regulations strategies on the relationship among childhood maltreatment experiences, behavioral problems and resilience level of adolescents. The sample of the study has consisted of 671 adolescents (338-girl, 322-boy) who attend high schools and whose ages change between 14 and 19 (x = 16.15 Sd: 1.42) in Gaziantep/Turkey. To determine childhood abuse/neglect; Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form (CTQ-S), for adolescent behavioral problems; Youth Self Report (YSR/11-18), for automatic thoughts; Children's Automatic Thoughts Scale (CATS), for resilience levels Resiliency Scale (RS), for cognitive emotion regulation strategies; Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), and for demographic variables; Demographic Information Form have been used. Research findings have shown that adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and automatic thoughts have entire mediator role in the relation between adolescents' childhood abuse/neglect experience and resilience levels. However maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and automatic thoughts have partial mediating role in the relation between adolescents' childhood abuse/neglect experience and behavioral problems. On the other hand maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies have no mediating effect on relationship between adolescents' childhood abuse/neglect experience and resilience levels and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies have no mediating effect on relationship between adolescents' childhood abuse/neglect experience and behavioral problems. In explaining the variance of behavioral problems, it has been found that the most effective variables are respectively the automatic thoughts, childhood abuse / neglect experiences and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies; adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and automatic thoughts are respectively the most important variables to explain the variance of resilience. The findings of the study were discussed regarding the relevant literature, some recommendations were presented to researchers and practitioners. Keywords: Childhood abuse / neglect, behavioral problems, resilience, automatic thoughts, cognitive emotion regulation strategies.