The relationship between childhood traumas, self-compassion and emotion regulation difficulties among university students

Childhood traumas have an impact on child's physical and mental development causing various mental health problems. Our research aims to examine the relationship between childhood traumas, self-compassion and emotion regulation difficulties. The sample of the study consists of 383 university students (287 women, 96 men) aged 18-26 years from Istanbul province. Sociodemographic Data Form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Short Form of Self-compassion Scale and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were used as data collection tools. Participants answered the scales themselves. According to our findings, a statistically significant relationship was found between Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Emotional Abuse (r=.435; p<0.01), Physical Abuse (r=.258; p<0.01), Physical Neglect (r=.271; p<0.01), Emotional Neglect (r=.342; p<0.01), Sexual Abuse (r=.233; p<0.01), Minimization (r=-,365; p<0.01) subscales scores and CCTO-Total score (R=.434; p<0.01) and emotion regulation difficulties. There was also a statistically significant relationship between Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Emotional Abuse (r=-.466; p<.01), Physical Abuse (r=-.290; p<.01), Physical Neglect (r=-.246; p<.01), Emotional Neglect (r=-.417; p<.01), Sexual Abuse (r=-.179; p<.01), Minimization subsclaes scores (r=.391; p<.01) and CCTO-Total score (r=-.467; p<.01) and Short Form of Self-Compassion Scale. There was a negative significant relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and self-compassion level (r=-.733; p<.01). Regression analysis revealed that childhood traumas and self-compassion (β=.116; t= 2.944; p<.01) explain 54.8% of the emotion regulation difficulties. The results of the current study indicate that childhood traumas may be associated with future emotion regulation difficulties, and self-compassion may have a role in this relationship.