The Link between Childhood Trauma and Social Anxiety in Middle Adulthood

Background and Purpose

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a prevalent mental health disorder marked by fear about one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to possible scrutiny by others, including social interactions, being observed, or performing in front of others. While SAD is a well-known mental health disorder, the link between an individual's exposure to childhood trauma and social anxiety levels in midlife has not been well explored in the existing literature. This study aimed first to explore the link between childhood trauma and social anxiety levels in midlife. Next, the study explored whether sleep quality potentially mediates this relationship. Furthermore, present-day prayer or meditation frequency, being complimented, and being told one is loved were explored as potential moderators to determine if these present-day practices would be associated with a reduction in the association between childhood trauma and the level of social anxiety in midlife.

Methods

This study used data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 3) Project 3 data set (N = 644), which was collected between 2017 and 2022. Childhood trauma was measured using responses from the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and social anxiety was measured using responses from the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. Sleep quality, prayer or meditation frequency, being complimented, and being loved were all measured in responses to the Positive Experiences Scale. Multi-variate linear regressions were run with independent variables, mediators, moderators, and the interaction terms between the independent variable and moderators to test the research questions. Basic demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are controlled in analyses.

Results

Results of bi-variate analysis indicate that a continuous childhood trauma measure (R² = .02, p=<.000), childhood emotional abuse (R² = .03, p=<.000), and childhood physical neglect (R² = .02, p=<.000), are associated with social anxiety levels in midlife. In multivariate regression models, all childhood trauma types are associated with social anxiety in midlife (p=<.001). Results also indicate that sleep quality does not mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and social anxiety levels in midlife. Of the moderators explored for factors in the present day, none were shown to moderate the relationship between childhood trauma and social anxiety levels in midlife.

Conclusion and Implication

This study supports the hypothesis that there is an association between childhood trauma and social anxiety in midlife. These results lend further support to the knowledge of how childhood trauma can have lasting effects on mental health into adulthood and implicate a potential need for a research agenda to determine whether clinical treatment of childhood trauma may be a pathway for reducing social anxiety levels in midlife. The results also indicate that clinical social workers may benefit from screening for and clinically treating childhood trauma when providing services to adults with social anxiety in midlife.