The role of sleep quality and anxiety symptoms in the association between childhood trauma and self-harm attempt: A chain-mediated analysis in the UK Biobank

Childhood trauma is a risk factor for self-harm/suicidal behavior, but research on the potential association linking sleep quality and anxiety symptoms to childhood trauma and self-harm attempt is limited. The aim of this study was to describe the mediating role of sleep quality and anxiety symptoms between childhood trauma and self-harm attempt, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention of self-harm behaviors. This study ultimately included 11,063 study participants who participated in the baseline survey of this large prospective cohort study of the UK Biobank. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the chain mediating role of sleep quality and anxiety symptoms in childhood trauma and self-harm attempt while controlling for covariates. A total of 19.58 % of study participants self-reported self-harm attempt. Sleep quality was negatively correlated with childhood trauma, anxiety symptoms, and self-harm attempt (p