A mediation study on the relation between childhood emotional neglect and social anxiety in young adults and the effect of rejection sensitivity as a mediator.

Abstract

This study investigates the mediating effect of rejection sensitivity in the relation between childhood emotional neglect and social anxiety in young adulthood. Although associations between emotional neglect and social anxiety have been found, existing research has paid less attention to the influence of the cognitive affective system conceptualized as rejection sensitivity as a mediator between these factors The present study investigated the effect of rejection sensitivity as a mediator in a sample of 22 to 26 year olds from the Dutch middle class (N=365, Mage = 23.80 ). The respondents were part of the RADAR (Research on Adolescent Development And Relationships) program, monitoring on the psychosocial and emotional development of adolescents and young adults. The young adults in question completed three questionnaires measuring the aforementioned constructs, after which a simple mediation analysis was carried out. Where at least a partial mediation was expected, the present study found a full mediation via rejection sensitivity. Higher levels of emotional neglect were associated with higher levels of rejection sensitivity, which, in turn, were associated with higher levels of social anxiety. This finding suggests that emotional neglect influences the cognitive-affective processing system of the individual in such a way that it increases experienced social anxiety. Nonetheless, longitudinal research in different, more diverse samples is needed to substantiate these findings. Also, future research may focus on the precise way childhood emotional neglect affects cognitions, which might be key in understanding the precise pathway to from childhood neglect to social anxiety.