Investigation of relationships between childhood traumas, existential anxiety, perceived social support, and depressive symptoms in university students

The present study aimed to investigate the mediating roles of existential anxiety, existential anxiety sub-dimensions, and meaningfulness in the relationship between childhood traumas and depressive symptoms. Besides, the moderator role of perceived social support was aimed to examine in the relationship between depressive symptoms and existential anxiety, its sub-dimensions, and meaningfulness which are determined as mediators as well as in the indirect relationship between childhood traumas and depressive symptoms through these mediator variables. The sample of the study consisted of 316 university students. Demographic Information Form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Existential Anxiety Scale, Meaning and Purpose of Life Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Beck Depression Inventory were administered to the participants. In order to analyze the mediation models, PROCESS Macro Model 4 was carried out. According to the results, the existential anxiety total score, all existential anxiety sub-dimensions, and the meaningfulness in life displayed a significant partial mediation in the relationship between childhood traumas and depressive symptoms. PROCESS Macro Model 14 was carried out in order to test the conditional indirect effect models. According to the findings, perceived social support played a moderating role in the relationship between mediator variables which are existential anxiety total score, meaninglessness, and meaningfulness and depressive symptoms as well as in the indirect relationships of childhood traumas established with depressive symptoms through these mediator variables. The findings of the current study were discussed in the scope of the literature, the clinical implications and limitations of the study were mentioned, and suggestions were made for future studies.