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©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Impact of childhood trauma and parental socialization on at-risk mental state in non-clinical adolescents
Antonio Jovani, Balma Moliner-Castellano, Rita Gimeno Vergara, Ana Benito, María Isabel Marí-Sanmillán, Francisca Castellano-García, Gonzalo Haro
Antonio Jovani, Department of Mental Health, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia 46026, Spain
Antonio Jovani, Balma Moliner-Castellano, Rita Gimeno Vergara, Ana Benito, María Isabel Marí-Sanmillán, Francisca Castellano-García, Gonzalo Haro, TXP Research Group, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Castellón 12006, Spain
Balma Moliner-Castellano, Department of Neuropsychology, Private Center Specialized in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Castellon de la Plana 12004, Spain
Rita Gimeno Vergara, Gonzalo Haro, Department of Mental Health, Consorcio Hospitalario Provincial de Castellón, Castellon de la Plana 12002, Spain
Ana Benito, Torrente Mental Health Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Torrente 46900, Spain
María Isabel Marí-Sanmillán, Francisca Castellano-García, Department of Education Sciences, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Castellón 12006, Spain
Author contributions: Jovani A, Gimeno Vergara R, Marí-Sanmillán MI, and Castellano-García F performed the collection, organization and management of the data collected; Jovani A conceptualized and wrote the original manuscript, formed the initial research ideas, and compiled the first draft; Moliner-Castellano B and Gimeno Vergara R developed and adapted the necessary software for data processing and analysis; Moliner-Castellano B contributed to developing software tools, creating visual outputs, and performing advanced statistical analyses; Benito A developed and refined the study’s methodology, supervised critical components, and conducted formal data analysis; Marí-Sanmillán MI created visual representations, including figures and tables; Castellano-García F and Haro G supervised and wrote the report, as well as review and editing; Castellano-García F supervised aspects of the study, and critically reviewed the manuscript for content and clarity; Haro G was responsible for the administrative aspects of the project; and all authors thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.
Supported by Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, No. GIR24/27.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Provincial Hospital Consortium of Castellon, No. CEIM-41-3; the Ethics Committee for Biomedical Research at the Cardenal Herrera University-CEU, No. CEI22/335; and the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports of the Valencian Community, No. CSV: EMER9QZU: M27XBBIB: 91AKUXLY.
Informed consent statement: Participants gave informed consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: Not available.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See:
https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Corresponding author: Francisca Castellano-García, PhD, Consultant, Professor, Researcher, Department of Education Sciences, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 31 Grecia Street, Castellón 12006, Spain.
francisca.castellanogarcia@uchceu.es
Received: April 15, 2025
Revised: May 22, 2025
Accepted: July 11, 2025
Published online: September 19, 2025
Processing time: 133 Days and 20 Hours
BACKGROUND
Childhood trauma and parental socialization have been postulated as environmental factors of at-risk mental state (ARMS). Parental socialization is the process through which parents shape children’s self-regulation by providing guidance and protection. Although the impact of trauma on ARMS has been theorized, its clinical implications have not yet been fully clarified in adolescence, nor have explanatory models of parenting styles been established.
AIM
To investigate the role of traumatic experiences in the appearance of ARMS in the general adolescent population, considering the influence of parental socialization.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study of 697 adolescents aged 11-15 years was conducted, during which several questionnaires assessing childhood trauma, psychotic symptoms, and parenting styles were administered. The sample was divided into control, low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk groups.
RESULTS
Some 2.8% (n = 19) of the adolescents presented ARMS and the presence of childhood trauma was associated with an increased risk of ARMS. Furthermore, the presence of abuse was greater in the high-risk and low-risk groups compared to controls. Regarding parental socialization, it was determined that a family socialization style based on greater affection–communication decreased the probability of ARMS. Finally, using PROCESS model 1 (regression-based path analysis that uses ordinary least squares regression), results suggested that low levels of affection and communication may mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and ARMS in adolescents.
CONCLUSION
These results highlight the importance of the early detection of trauma in preventing ARMS, without forgetting the importance of socialization styles.
Core Tip: This study explores the associations between childhood trauma, parental socialization, and at-risk mental state (ARMS) in adolescents aged 11 to 15. Results suggest that trauma may be linked to a higher likelihood of ARMS, while parenting styles characterized by affection and communication appear to be associated with a lower risk. Low parental affection and communication may play a role in the relationship between trauma and ARMS, highlighting the potential importance of supportive family environments for early identification and prevention efforts.
