Childhood Trauma As Predictor Of Cluster C Personality Disorders And Post Traumatic Growth

Abstract

The current study examined the relation between childhood trauma and Cluster C personality disorders (dependent, avoidant, obsessive-compulsive) and post traumatic growth.  825 students from the University of Peshawar, ages 17 to 23 (M=20.33, SD=1.66), constituted the study's sample. Three self-report questionnaires were used to collect the data: Childhood Trauma Questionnaire- CTQ (Bernstein & Fink, 1994), International Personality Disorders Examination- IPDE (Loranger et al., 1997) and Post Traumatic Growth Inventory- PTGI (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). The effect of childhood abuse on the prevalence of cluster C personality disorders was examined using regression analysis. While avoidant personality disorder did not show significant beta values, dependent and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders did. Post-traumatic growth and traumatic experiences showed a substantial adverse relationship when analyzed through regression, indicating that children who endure severe and ongoing trauma are less likely to have beneficial transformations known as post-traumatic growth. Programs for raising parental awareness can be launched in light of the current study to educate parents about the value of a stable and healthy home environment. Children who had a playful childhood are more likely to have positive relationships with their parents, which in turn helps them develop healthy coping mechanisms, emotional support, and self-esteem.