Beyond What Meets the Eye: The Effect of Childhood Trauma on Doomscrolling and Dating Violence

Background The aim of this study was to determine the effect of childhood trauma on catastrophizing and dating violence among university students. Methods This descriptive and correlational study was completed with 503 students between September 20 and November 20, 2025. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28), the Dating Violence Scale (DVS), and the Doomscrolling Scale–Turkish Form (DS-TF). Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage) were used to summarize the data; group comparisons were conducted using ANOVA, and associations were examined using Pearson correlation and simple linear regression analyses. Ethical committee approval and institutional permissions were obtained prior to the study. Results Of the participants, 72.7% were female, and 34.9% were first-year students. The mean total scores were 43.66 ± 15.32 for the CTQ-28, 45.11 ± 18.28 for the DVS, and 33.94 ± 18.39 for the DS-TF. A statistically significant, positive correlation was found between CTQ-28 and DVS (r = 0.571, p < 0.05) and between CTQ-28 and DS-TF (r = 0.454, p < 0.05). A statistically significant, positive correlation was also observed between DVS and DS-TF (r = 0.478, p < 0.05). The model testing the effect of childhood trauma on dating violence was statistically significant (F = 241.325, p < 0.05) and explained 32.6% of the variance. The model testing the effect of dating violence on doomscrolling was statistically significant (F = 147.698, p < 0.05) and explained 22.8% of the variance. The model testing the effect of childhood trauma on doomscrolling was statistically significant (F = 129.861, p < 0.05) and explained 20.6% of the variance. Conclusions Our findings indicate that childhood trauma positively influences dating violence and doomscrolling behavior, and that the mediating role of dating violence in the association between childhood trauma and doomscrolling is statistically significant.