Investigating the relationship between childhood interpersonal traumatic experiences and appraisals, belonging, shame, and dissociation.

Background: The association between childhood trauma and an array of psychosocial outcomes, including shame, dissociation and social connection, has attracted increasing empirical attention. Efforts are now being made to understand how these variables may be interrelated.Objective: This study aims to further expand on previous work by examining over two studies the relationship between childhood betrayal trauma, markers of belonging in social connections, shame and dissociation.Method: Both studies recruited a general population representative age and gender sample via Prolific and used path analysis. Study 1 (N = 247; Mage = 46.66 (SD = 15.57), 52.6% female) assessed whether the need to belong moderated the relationship between childhood betrayal trauma and fear of belonging, with this latter variable influencing both shame and dissociation.Results: Results ultimately showed the best model fit being childhood betrayal trauma directly influencing shame and dissociation with these latter two variables significantly impacting fear of belonging. Study 2 (N = 289; Mage = 46.48 (SD = 16.26), 52.2% female) sought to replicate and expand Study 1, with the best model fit showing that perceived impact of childhood betrayal trauma mediated the relationship between childhood betrayal trauma and both shame and dissociation, with these latter two variables directly impacting fear of belonging.Conclusion: Dissociation and shame are supported as important variables in the aftermath of childhood betrayal trauma and its subjective impact, while also having a potential impact on the fear a person has of connecting with other people.