Examining the reflections of childhood exposure to political violence on adulthood psychological health in terms of social-ecological variables

The present study investigated the relationship between childhood political violence and current psychological health based on social-ecological theory. For this purpose, two parallel mediation models were tested in the study. In the first model, it was expected that family protective factors and immediate social support in childhood would mediate the relationship between childhood exposure to political violence and the current psychological health. Similarly, in the second model, it was expected that social trust and trust in institutions would mediate the relationship between childhood exposure to political violence and the current psychological health after controlling for family protective factors and immediate social support in childhood. The study sample consisted of 406 adults between the ages of 18-65. Data collection was carried out online, and the convenient sampling method was used to recruit participants. Participants completed the Political Violence Exposure Checklist, Brief Symptom Inventory, Family Protective Factors Inventory, Social Support Appraisals Scale for Children, Social Safeness and Pleasure Scale, and Trust in Institutions Scale during the study. As a result of parallel mediation analyses using SPSS PROCESS macro, all hypotheses put forward in the study were confirmed with the available data. In other words, the study provided an explanation for the influence mechanisms on the relationship between childhood political violence and current psychological health, both at the microsystem level and the more distal ecological levels. Lastly, theoretical and clinical implications were presented in relation to the study's findings employing Bronfenbrenner's social ecology theory.