Adverse Childhood Experience, Parental Bonding, and Fatherhood as Parenting Vulnerabilities to Social Anxiety Severity in Iranian Context

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the association between adverse childhood experiences, parental bonding, fatherhood, and social anxiety symptoms among emerging adults in an Iranian context. In a cross-sectional study, self-reports measuring fatherhood, parental bonding, anxious thoughts, and childhood trauma were administered to 242 university students with social anxiety symptoms. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Individuals with adverse childhood experiences displayed more social anxiety symptoms (R2 = .32) than others. Moreover, fatherhood (R2 = .28), paternal bonding (R2 = .26), and maternal bonding (R2 = .26) were all significantly and equally associated with variance in social anxiety symptoms. Our findings revealed that adverse childhood experiences, fatherhood, and both maternal and paternal bonding significantly correlated to social anxiety symptoms later in adulthood. Accordingly, it is vital to assess the significance of each factor that contributes to social anxiety in order to develop community-based prevention packages and reduce the prevalence of social anxiety in society.