The Relationship Between Childhood Psychological Maltreatment And Trait Depression:Cognitive Bias As A Mediator And Hope As A Moderator

Based on the Beck’s cognitive theory of depression,this study explored the mechanism of the relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment and trait depression.In this study,it assumed that cognitive bias had a mediating effect between childhood psychological maltreatment and trait depression,while hope moderated the mediating effect and the direct effect of childhood psychological maltreatment on trait depression.532 undergraduates from 3 universities in Harbin were randomly selected to complete the childhood psychological maltreatment questionnaire,Attention to Positive and Negative Inventory(APNI),Adult Dispositional Hope Scale(ADHS)and State-Trait Depression Scale(STDEP),to explore the mediating effect of cognitive bias between childhood psychological maltreatment and trait depression,and the moderating effect of hope in the mediation process.Findings:(1)The level of childhood psychological maltreatment in undergraduates with siblings,undergraduates from single parent family and rural areas were higher than those in undergraduates without siblings,undergraduates from two-parent family and from urban areas.The level of trait depression in undergraduates from single parent family was higher than that in two-parent family.(2)Childhood psychological maltreatment was a significant positive association with negative cognitive bias and trait depression.Childhood psychological maltreatment was a significant negative association with positive cognitive bias and hope.(3)Childhood psychological maltreatment could increase the level of negative cognitive bias and decrease the level of positive cognitive bias to influence the trait depression.Hope moderated the influence of childhood psychological maltreatment on trait depression,the influence of positive cognitive bias on trait depression,the influence of childhood psychological maltreatment on negative cognitive bias,and the influence of negative cognitive bias on trait depression.