Differences in Interpersonal Relationship Problems and Social Interaction Anxiety According to Clusters of Childhood Trauma Experiences

This study aims to investigate whether there is a difference in interpersonal relationship problems and social interaction anxiety in adulthood according to childhood trauma experience. The survey was conducted on respondents who had experienced abuse among adult men and women, and the results of 241 data points were analyzed using SPSS 22.0. First, the childhood trauma experiences were classified into five clusters: low-impact, physical·emotional co-occurrence trauma, physical trauma, emotional trauma, and sexual·physical co-occurrence trauma. Second, the entire scale and sub-scales of interpersonal problem for the ‘physical·emotional co-occurrence group’ showed significantly higher scores than the other groups. Third, social interaction anxiety of the ‘physical·emotional co-occurrence group’ showed significantly higher scores than the other groups. Through these results, the experience of ‘co-occurrence trauma’ of childhood has a strong effect on interpersonal relationship problems and social interaction anxiety in adulthood. Also, the experience of trauma in childhood are closely related in interpersonal relationship problems and social interaction anxiety in adulthood. Therefore, the nation must prevent childhood trauma, actively follow-up on measures for childhood trauma, and establish a specific solution to heal abuse experiences that have already occurred.