The relationship between bullying victimization experience and post-traumatic stress symptoms in college students  The mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and the moderating role of hope

Objective To explore the relationship between bullying victimization and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) in college students with bullying victimization experience, the mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and the moderating role of hope. Methods 1695 college students were tested using Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale, Maladaptive Strategy subscale, Hope Scale and PTSD Symptom Checklist. Mplus 8.3 was used to analyze the mediating effect based on structural equation and the moderated mediating effect, and the non-parametric Bootstrap method was used to test the mediating effect. Results (1) Bullying victimization had a significant positive predictive effect on PTSSs ( β  = 0.46, p  < 0.05); (2) Maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies played a partial mediating role between bullying victimization and PTSSs ( 95%CI : 0.08–0.13); (3) Moderating analysis identified that hope moderated the relationship between bullying victimization and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies( β  = 0.211, p  < 0.05), as well as the relationship between maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and PTSSs( β =-0.243, p  < 0.05), specifically, with the increase of hope level, the prediction effect of bullying victimization on maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategy increased; The influence of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies on PTSSs decreased with the increase of hope. Conclusions These findings contribute to understanding the partial mediating mechanism of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the association between bullying victimization and PTSSs. Bullying victimization experience is a risk factor for PTSSs. Maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies have been identified as significant factors that contribute to the relationship between bullying victimization and PTSSs. To some extent, hope serves as a protective factor, the protective role of hope proved to preventing PTSSs in college students who have been victims of bullying, but it may also be associated with higher maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Intervention programs that enhance hope and improve maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies could assist in mitigating the impact of bullying victimization on PTSSs.