Examination of Childhood Traumas and Various Factors between the Ages of 6-18 in Terms of Perceived Stress and Stress Coping Styles

Authors

  • Cahide Çolak İzmir Bakırçay University, Turkey, Turkey
  • Prof. Selim Gunuc, Ph.D İzmir Bakırçay University, Turkey, Turkey

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.8414912026

Keywords:

Childhood trauma, stress, parental conflict, social support, stress coping styles, perceived stress, young adulthood

Abstract

This study examined the associations of childhood trauma, perceived parental conflict, perceived social support, and coping styles with perceived stress in young adulthood, as well as the indirect roles of social support and coping. A correlational cross-sectional design was used with 407 university students aged 18–27 years. Participants completed the Personal Information Form, Perceived Past Social Support Questionnaire, Perceived Past Parental Conflict Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, Stress Coping Styles Scale, and Childhood Trauma Scale. Pearson correlations, multiple linear regression, and PROCESS Model 4 mediation analyses with 5,000 bootstrap samples were conducted. Perceived stress was positively correlated with childhood trauma (r = .25) and perceived parental conflict (r = .22), and negatively correlated with perceived social support (r = −.16). The regression model explained 30.5% of the variance in perceived stress; only self-confident coping (β = −.248) and helpless coping (β = .294) were significant predictors. Perceived social support showed an indirect association between parental conflict and perceived stress. Self-confident, optimistic, social-support-seeking, and helpless coping styles showed significant indirect associations between childhood trauma and perceived stress, whereas submissive coping did not. These findings highlight coping styles and social support as mechanisms linking adverse childhood experiences with perceived stress in young adulthood.

Author Biographies

Cahide Çolak, İzmir Bakırçay University, Turkey

Cahide Çolak is a clinical psychologist based in İzmir, Turkey. She earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology and completed her master's degree in the Department of Clinical Psychology at İzmir Bakırçay University. Her research and clinical focus areas include emotional development in children, stress and coping mechanisms, parent-child relationships, and parental conflicts.

Prof. Selim Gunuc, Ph.D, İzmir Bakırçay University, Turkey

Selim Gunuc, Ph.D is a Professor of Psychology at İzmir Bakırçay University, Turkey. He holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Education and Educational Technology, a master's degree in Educational Sciences, and a doctorate in Educational Psychology, alongside a second master's degree and a doctorate in Neuroscience. His primary research interests focus on cognitive and behavioral neuroscience and CyberPsychology, specifically investigating the impact of digital technologies on the human brain and behavior.

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Published

2026-09-15

How to Cite

Çolak, C., & Gunuc, S. (2026). Examination of Childhood Traumas and Various Factors between the Ages of 6-18 in Terms of Perceived Stress and Stress Coping Styles. Journal of Psychological Perspective, 8(4), 241–252. https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.8414912026

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Empirical Research

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