The Relationship between Childhood Trauma and Depression in Early Adulthood: The Roles of Resilience and Personality Type

Background: The relationship between childhood trauma and depression in early adulthood is complex and influenced by factors such as resilience and personality type. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of resilience and the moderating role of personality types in this relationship. Methods: A total of 1059 undergraduates (mean age = 19.87 +/- 1.82 years; 48.1% men, 51.9% women) were surveyed. The Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI) was used to assess the personality dimensions of the participants, which were further analyzed using latent profile analysis (LPA). Childhood trauma experiences were evaluated using the short form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), while resilience was measured using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). All scales demonstrated high reliability and validity. Results: The findings indicated a positive correlation between childhood trauma and depression, mediated by resilience. Personality types moderated this mediation, with significant indirect effects observed only for individuals categorized as Type 2. Conclusions: This study provides insight into the mechanisms of depression in early adulthood, suggesting that an intervention targeting resilience and considering personality type may be beneficial. The result highlight the importance of a human-centered approach in understanding the interaction among personality traits and their potential moderating effect on the relationship between childhood trauma and depression symptoms.