Abstract

Although it is known that childhood traumatic experiences can lead to difficulties in emotion regulation, there is a gap in research on the impact of emotional neglect on emotion dysregulation and its underlying psychological mechanisms. This study investigated the mediating role of body trust, defined as confidence in one's bodily sensations, in the relationship between emotional neglect and the ability to use adaptive emotion regulation strategies. A total of 251 adults(166 females) completed self-report questionnaires assessing childhood emotional neglect, difficulties in accessing emotion regulation strategies, and levels of body trust. Employing Structural Equation Modeling and bootstrapping techniques, the analysis revealed a direct link between emotional neglect and the flexible use of situationally appropriate emotion regulation strategies. Additionally, an indirect influence on emotion regulation was found, mediated through the construct of body trust. Specifically, heightened levels of childhood emotional neglect were associated with reduced levels of body trust, ultimately leading to adverse clinical outcomes that impede emotional regulation. These findings suggest clinical implications that focusing on body trust may be effective in emotional regulation interventions for individuals with childhood emotional neglect experiences.