Childhood trauma and PTSD in Turkish university students: self-compassion as a mediating protective factor

DONAT BACIOĞLU S.

British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/03069885.2026.2626724
  • Dergi Adı: British Journal of Guidance and Counselling
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, CINAHL, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Psycinfo, Social Sciences Abstracts
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Childhood Trauma, good health, post-traumatic stress disorder, self-compassion, well-being
  • Trakya Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Childhood trauma is a risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet the psychological mechanisms underlying this link in young adult populations remain underexplored. This study examined the mediating role of self-compassion (SC) in the link between childhood trauma (CT) and PTSD among Turkish university students. A total of 592 students aged 18–30 participated. Mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro (Model 4) in SPSS. The findings showed that higher levels of CT were associated with lower SC and greater PTSD symptoms. SC partially mediated this link, with the indirect effect accounting for 19.07% of the variance in PTSD. In conclusion, SC may serve as a key protective factor in the link between CT and PTSD. Additionally, SC-based interventions have the potential to enhance student well-being and resilience in university counselling settings.