Structural Model of Predicting Psychotic-Like Experiences Based on Childhood Trauma with the Mediating Role of Psychological Flexibility in University Students

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 MSc Student, Department of Clinical and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Clinical Psychology, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/jmpr.2025.68703.6777

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the structural model of predicting psychotic-like experiences based on childhood trauma with the mediating role of psychological flexibility in university students. The present study was descriptive-correlational using structural equation modeling. The statistical population was university students Islamic Azad Universitys in Central Tehran the during 2025. The sample size was selected based on Kline model (2023) and with convenience sampling of 200 University students. Data were collected using thecommunity assessment of psychic experiences questionnaire (CAPE-42; Stefanis et al, 2002), short form of the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ-SF; Bernstein et al, 2003) and multidimensional psychological flexibility inventory (MPFI; Rolffs et al, 2018). Using SPSS version 29 and AMOS software data were analyzed. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and structural equations modeling. The results showed direct effect of childhood trauma (β=0.65 and p<0.001) and psychological flexibility (β= - 0.29 and p<0.001) on psychotic-like experiences are significant. The results also showed that psychological flexibility has a significant mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma (β= -0.62 and p<0.001) with psychotic-like experiences. Also, the final research model had a good fit (RMSEA=0.06, SRMR=0.03, p<0.05) and 64% of the variance of psychotic-like experiences is explained. This study deepened our understanding of the possible mechanisms of students' psychotic-like experiences. For students who suffer from childhood trauma, psychological inflexibility may be a maladaptive coping strategy that predisposes students to psychotic-like experiences.

Keywords

Main Subjects


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Volume 20, Issue 80
January 2026
Pages 89-103
  • Receive Date: 17 August 2025
  • Revise Date: 17 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 27 September 2025