Childhood Poly-victimization and Adults’ Psychoticism: A Moderated Mediation Model Testing an Affective Pathway

Abstract

Child poly-victimization is a risk factor for psychopathology in adulthood, such as anxiety and depression. Despite that, there is minus investment regarding psychotic symptoms and the mechanisms explaining the relationship between poly-victimization and psychoticism. The purpose of this study is to investigate these variables and explain how they might be associated. A sample of 246 adults participated in this study, aged between 18 and 68 years (M = 37.5, SD = 12.5) and mostly females (76.8%). The results revealed a significant mediating effect of anxiety and depression in the relationship between childhood victimization and psychoticism (b = .12, p = .011), but not a significant moderating effect of gender, Δ χ 2 (5) = 3.87, p = .568. The affective pathway was supported by our findings. These results suggest the need of additional efforts on prevention of child victimization, as well as of intervention programs aiming to prevent its cumulative effect.