The relationship between exposure to psychological trauma in childhood and self-sabotage, fear of happiness and marital anxiety

The aim of this study is to examine the predictive effect of physical abuse on marital anxiety, as well as the mediating roles of self-sabotage and fear of happiness in this relationship. The study was conducted using a relational screening model and a quantitative research approach. The research group consisted of 400 adults between the ages of 20 and 40 (x̄ = 28.71; SD = 5.22) with a trauma score of 45 and above. Of the total number of participants, 268 are women and 132 are men. In addition, 60.5% of participants are university graduates. The Personal Information Form, the Childhood Psychological Traumas Scale (with regard to the physical abuse sub-dimension), the Self-Sabotage Scale, the Fear of Happiness Scale, and the Marriage Anxiety Scale were utilized as data collection instruments. In the analysis of the data, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA to determine differences according to demographic variables; Pearson correlation analysis was utilized for the relationships between variables; and Hayes PROCESS Macro Model 6 was implemented to test mediation relationships. The findings indicate that age and gender do not exert a significant influence on marital anxiety. However, a substantial discrepancy is observed based on educational level. The implementation of correlation analyses yielded the following findings: low-level negative relationships were identified between physical abuse and marital anxiety and self-sabotage; concurrently, moderate positive relationships were identified between self-sabotage and fear of happiness and marital anxiety. The mediation analysis indicated that physical abuse predicted a direct correlation with marital anxiety, with self-sabotage serving as a significant mediating factor in this association. While the fear of happiness itself did not exert a mediating effect, the serial mediation model extending from physical abuse to marital anxiety through self-sabotage and fear of happiness was found to be significant. Among the hypotheses tested in the study, H2, H7, H8, H9, H10, and H12 were supported.