Psychological Resilience Mediates the Impact of Childhood Trauma on Depressive Symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder

Background: This research aimed to investigate the mediating and moderating effects of psychological resilience (PR) on the association between childhood trauma (CT) and the development of depression. Methods: This study included 94 cases who consecutively applied to the outpatient psychiatry clinic of Rize Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Training and Research Hospital in Turkey between 1 June 2023 and 1 December 2023 and were diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). In addition, 83 healthy individuals (control group) were also included. Participants administered the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Results: In the context of this research, the mediating effect of PR between CT and depression development was investigated. When examining the mediating role of PR on the association between CT and depression, it was found that CT statistically significantly influenced disease severity directly (B = 0.158, SE = 0.0398, z = 3.98, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.0759, 0.232]), while it also influenced disease severity indirectly through PR (B = 0.193, SE = 0.028, z = 6.88, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.1343, 0.244]). It was revealed that PR mediated the association between CT and depressive symptoms partially. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that PR has a mediating effect on the relationship between CT and MDD. These results provide new contributions to the existing literature. Interventions that increase psychological resilience may positively contribute to the treatment of patients with MDD who have suffered from CT.