Mediating pathways of neuroticism and social anxiety in the relationship between childhood trauma and the fear of missing out among Chinese college students

Abstract

Recent research has identified various risk factors for fear of missing out. However, studies on the potential influence of childhood trauma on the fear of missing out remain scarce, and little is known regarding the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship. In this study, we examine the predictive role of childhood trauma on the fear of missing out among college students and investigate whether neuroticism and social anxiety mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and the fear of missing out. A sample of 1,266 Chinese college students completed questionnaires regarding childhood trauma, neuroticism, social anxiety, and the fear of missing out. The results indicated that (a) childhood trauma is positively associated with the fear of missing out, (b) both neuroticism and social anxiety mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and the fear of missing out, and (c) neuroticism and social anxiety sequentially mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and the fear of missing out. These findings have crucial implications for the prevention and intervention of the fear of missing out among college students.