Echoes of Childhood: Gender and Coping Strategies as Moderators of Social Anxiety in Survivors of Maltreatment

Abstract

The relationship between child maltreatment and elevated rates of psychopathology is widely recognized with research showing that the survivors of child abuse are more likely to experience higher levels of social anxiety than those in the general population. Studies confirm gender differences, with females generally exhibiting higher rates of social anxiety than males.  Research suggests that coping styles may influence the connection between adverse childhood experiences and subsequent impacts, with evidence indicating that the use of specific coping strategies may vary between genders. This study examined the effects of coping styles and gender in moderating the relationship between childhood maltreatment severity and social anxiety in a sample of 200 students from the University of Tirana. Participants completed three self-reporting questionnaires: The Childhood Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-S), the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory Short Version (SPAI-18), and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations Short Form (CISS-21). Data analysis employed hierarchical multiple regression for moderator analyses and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Results indicated that emotion-oriented coping significantly moderated the relationship between maltreatment and social anxiety, while task-oriented and avoidance coping did not. Gender also moderated this relationship, with females demonstrating greater sensitivity to maltreatment's effects. Additionally, females scored higher on emotion-oriented coping, though no significant gender differences were found for the other coping styles. These findings highlight the nuanced roles of coping styles and gender in understanding the impact of childhood maltreatment on social anxiety.

Received: 10 August 2024 / Accepted: 31 October 2024 / Published: 05 November 2024