Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40264234›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2025

The impact of childhood trauma on meaning in life among middle school students: the chain-mediating roles of social support and core self-evaluations.

Suqun Liao, Luyao Mo, Lishen Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Anxiety as a Mediator Between Childhood Trauma and Social Competence Among Adolescents and Young Adults.Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Suqun LiaoShaoguan University, Shaoguan, 512005, Guangdong, China.
Luyao MoShaoguan University, Shaoguan, 512005, Guangdong, China.
Lishen WangShaoguan University, Shaoguan, 512005, Guangdong, China. 307745061@qq.com.

Funding

The Key Research Platforms and Projects for Universities in Guangdong Province 2024ZDZX4021,2021ZDZX4034
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe negative impact of childhood trauma on adolescence' meaning in life has become a widely concerned topic. The junior high school students are still at a critical stage of developing their meaning in life. This study aims to explore the impact of childhood trauma on meaning in life among junior high school students, as well as the mediating role of social support and core self-evaluations.

methodsCross-sectional data were collected from 23 schools in South China. 2,273 junior high school students completed self-reported questionnaires on demographic variables, childhood trauma, meaning in life, social support, and core self-evaluations. Statistical analysis was conducted via SPSS 27.0 and SPSS PROCESS.

resultsChildhood trauma negatively impacted junior high school students' meaning in life significantly. Both social support ( Indirect effect = -0.073, 95% CI, -0.112 ~ -0.034) and core self-evaluations ( Indirect effect = -0.044, 95% CI, -0.061 ~ -0.028) were significant partial mediators in the childhood trauma and meaning in life. A chain mediating role of social support and core self-evaluations in the relationship between childhood trauma and meaning in life was also supported (Indirect effect = -0.048, 95% CI, -0.066 ~ -0.031). Hierarchical regression results showed that social support and core self-evaluations both positively predict meaning in life. When social support and core self-evaluations were added separately, the impact of childhood trauma weakened. When social support (β = 0.113, t = 4.108, p < 0.001) and core self-evaluations (β = 0.165, t = 6.250, p < 0.001) were both present, childhood trauma has the least impact on meaning in life.

conclusionsStrengthening the power of social support networks and fostering positive core self-evaluations may be important strategies for mitigating the negative effects of childhood trauma and enhancing meaning in life for junior high school students.

Indexed as

Adverse Childhood ExperiencesSelf-AssessmentSocial SupportStudentsAdolescentChildChinaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleSchoolsSurveys and QuestionnairesChain intermediaryChildhood traumaCore self-evaluationsMeaning in lifeSocial support

Identifiers

PMID40264234
PMCPMC12016145

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.