The Impact of Childhood Abuse on Friendship Quality Among Chinese University Students: The Mediating Role of Self-Disclosure and the Moderating Role of Empathy

This study examines the influence of childhood abuse on friendship quality among Chinese college students, particularly with respect to the underlying psychological mechanisms. A sample of 657 college students aged between 17 and 22 years from Shenyang, China, completed the Childhood Abuse Scale, the Friendship Quality Scale, the Self-Disclosure Index, and the Interpersonal Response Indicator. A latent variable model analysis revealed that childhood abuse significantly predicts decreased friendship quality among college students (β = -0.25, p < 0.001, 95% CI [-0.63, -0.25]). Furthermore, self-disclosure was found to have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between childhood abuse and friendship quality (mediating effect ab = -0.03, p < 0.001). Empathy was identified as a moderator in the relationship between childhood abuse and friendship quality, thus indicating that enhancing empathy could positively impact the development of friendship quality among college students. These findings suggest that friendship quality can be improved through interventions aimed at enhancing self-disclosure and empathy; furthermore, greater attention must be given to students with childhood abuse experiences.