Trauma is a state of emotional and mental distress caused by an uncontrollable, unpredictable and very negative event that exceeds the individual's ability to cope. Early traumatic experiences such as abuse and neglect can cause a profound disruption of a basic sense of security and trust, leading to an increased risk of developing insecure attachment styles. As part of the master's thesis, in a cross-sectional study with a sample of 300 young people at transition to adulthood (259 female, 1 non-binary; M = 23,17, SD = 3,01), we used correlational and hierarchical regression analyses to explore the relationship between childhood trauma and attachment in adulthood, and the role of two psychological buffers – self-compassion and relational need satisfaction – in mitigating the negative consequences of childhood traumatic experiences. The results showed that individuals with higher levels of traumatic experiences reported lower levels of self-compassion and relational need satisfaction. We found that traumatic experiences, in particular emotional neglect and emotional abuse, were significantly associated with insecure and disorganised attachment. The results of the moderation analyses showed that self-compassion and met relational needs are significant to different extents – relational needs significantly moderated the association between trauma and anxious attachment, whereas self-compassion did not have an independent protective effect. In the case of disorganised attachment, however, the moderating effect was found when both sources – high levels of self-compassion and satisfied relational needs – were present simultaneously. The findings suggest important links between childhood trauma, self-compassion, relational needs and attachment in adulthood, and underline the importance of psychological protective factors in mitigating the negative consequences of childhood trauma. The findings may be helpful in designing childhood trauma-focused integrative interventions that focus both on promoting the capacity for self-compassion and on building quality interpersonal relationships.
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