biostudies-literatureUnknown15Chen S<h4>Background</h4>Childhood trauma is a potential threat to depression and can have a lifelong impact on the mental health of university students. Our study aimed to construct a moderated mediation model to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, psychache, ambivalence over emotional expression, physical activity, and depression in university students.<h4>Methods</h4>A cross-sectional study was conducted in three universities in China, recruiting 476 university students using self-report questionnaires. The moderated mediation model was examined using the SPSS PROCESS model 21.<h4>Results</h4>Ambivalence over emotional expression (F=12.843), childhood trauma (F=117.639), and psychache (F=581.594) all had a significant positive effect on depression (p<0.001), explaining 2.9%, 21Frontiers in psychiatry1414105https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11228253biostudies-literatureChildhood trauma, psychache, and depression among university students: a moderated mediation model.PMC11228253Fu TSun GChen SWang YfalseChildhood trauma, psychache, and depression among university students: a moderated mediation model.<h4>Background</h4>Childhood trauma is a potential threat to depression and can have a lifelong impact on the mental health of university students. Our study aimed to construct a moderated mediation model to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, psychache, ambivalence over emotional expression, physical activity, and depression in university students.<h4>Methods</h4>A cross-sectional study was conducted in three universities in China, recruiting 476 university students using self-report questionnaires. The moderated mediation model was examined using the SPSS PROCESS model 21.<h4>Results</h4>Ambivalence over emotional expression (F=12.843), childhood trauma (F=117.639), and psychache (F=581.594) all had a significant positive effect on depression (p<0.001), explaining 2.9%, 212024-01-01T00:00:00Z20242025-04-04T11:25:33.203Z2025-04-04T11:25:33.203ZS-EPMC112282533897949510.3389/fpsyt.2024.1414105