Predicting Trait Anxiety and Depression Symptomatology in Young Adults: The Role of Positive Early Childhood Memories

Year 2022, Volume: 12 Issue: 66, 465 - 477, 15.09.2022

Umut Haydar Coşkun Ayşe Dolunay Sarıca Elif Ulu-ercan

Abstract

The role of negative early memories has been shown to be linked with various adult psychopathologies. Some however claim positive early memories to be a better predictor of psychopathology. The aim of this study was to test this assumption for trait anxiety and depressive symptoms in a Turkish sample. First, the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale-EMWSS was adapted into Turkish using a sample of 200 high-school and 213 university students. Findings from Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses confirmed the original single-factor structure, while tests of reliability revealed excellent results. Secondly, EMWSS-Turkish Version (EMWSS-T), Trait Anxiety Scale (TAS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to an independent sample of 121 university students to test the predictive power of EMWSS-T on trait anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results showed that EMWSS-T significantly explained 20% and 11% of the variance in TAS and BDI, respectively and discriminated normal and above-normal BDI scorers. In conclusion, the study was able to confirm the role of positive early memories in trait anxiety and depressive symptomatology. In addition, a new supplementary measure for detecting psychopathological symptoms were introduced to clinical and post-secondary educational settings.

Keywords

The Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale, Positive Early Childhood Memories, Young Adult, Depressive Symptoms, Trait Anxiety Symptoms

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