The Pathway of Hopelessness: Linking Childhood Trauma to Depression

Ying Li

doi:10.54254/2753-7048/2025.LD30067

Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public MediaOpen access

The Pathway of Hopelessness: Linking Childhood Trauma to Depression

Research Article

Open Access

The Pathway of Hopelessness: Linking Childhood Trauma to Depression

Ying Li ^1*

¹ University of Southampton

^*Corresponding author: june40th@outlook.com

Published on 26 November 2025

LNEP Vol.119

ISSN (Print): 2753-7056

ISSN (Online): 2753-7048

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-545-5

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-546-2

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Abstract

Childhood psychological trauma casts a long shadow over lifelong mental health and strongly predisposes individuals to depressive disorders. Despite consensus on the childhood trauma-depression connection, the translational mechanisms operating between them are not yet fully understood. Drawing on learned helplessness theory, this investigation advances the view that hopelessness acts as a core mechanism in the relationship between early trauma and later depression. This research seeks to elucidate the mechanisms through which different childhood traumas influence adult depression, with a specific focus on interrogating the mediating effect of hopelessness. A questionnaire survey was administered to 113 adults (38 males, 74 females) with an average age of 22. The study found that all types of childhood trauma except sexual abuse (emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect) significantly influenced depression levels through the full mediating effect of hopelessness. However, there was no significant association between sexual abuse and hopelessness, thus hopelessness could not mediate this relationship. The results support learned helplessness theory, showing that prolonged uncontrollable trauma fosters hopelessness and subsequent depression. While emotional and physical abuse harm mental health by damaging future expectations and causing hopelessness, future intervention for trauma victim can focus on intervening against the sense of hopelessness to prevent depression. This study also underscores the need to distinguish trauma types and their specific mechanisms for understanding and intervening in childhood trauma’s long-term effects.

Keywords:

Childhood trauma, depression, hopelessness, learned helplessness

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