title: [Childhood Traumas and Attachment Style-Associated Depression Symptoms: The Mediator Role of Alexithymia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the mediator role of alexithymia and its relationship with childhood traumas (sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect) and attachment style (anxiety and avoidance dimensions of attachment) associated depression symptoms in adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample of this study included 417 undergraduate university students from different departments that studied at Hacettepe University during the 2012-2013 school years with a final analysis done over 369 participants. The Demographic Information Form, Experiences in Close Relationship Inventory-II (ECR-R), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to the undergraduate students who participated in this study. Mediator analyses were applied to the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed that the total score of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale had a partial mediating role in the relationship of childhood traumas (the total score of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), childhood emotional abuse and emotional neglect with depressive symptom levels in university students. Besides, the total score of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale had a full mediating role in the relationship between childhood physical neglect and depressive symptom levels in adulthood. Additionally, it was found that the total score of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale had a partial mediating role between the anxiety dimension of the attachment and the depressive symptom levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed that alexithymia should be considered as a significant variable in the relationship of childhood traumas and attachment patterns with depression symptoms in adulthood.
authors.forename: İpek
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Şenkal
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Işıklı
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult