Childhood trauma and depressive symptoms among orphaned children in Rwanda: parallel mediation by perceived social support and loneliness

Childhood trauma and depressive symptoms among orphaned children in Rwanda: parallel mediation by perceived social support and loneliness | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Childhood trauma and depressive symptoms among orphaned children in Rwanda: parallel mediation by perceived social support and loneliness Justin Singirankabo, Japhet Niyonsenga, Aristide Rutayisire Kibaki, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7158062/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health → Version 1 posted 14 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Childhood trauma experiences are widely linked with depressive symptoms, especially among orphaned children in low-resource settings like Rwanda. These children often face multiple adversities, increasing their vulnerability to mental health issues. However, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify the mediating role of perceived social support and loneliness in the relationship between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted on417 orphaned children aged between 10 and 18 years (M: 13.6, SD: 2.65), conveniently selected from the Gasabo district. Data were collected using standardized instruments to assess loneliness, perceived social support, depression symptoms, and childhood trauma. The data were analyzed using SPSS (Version 29.2), with mediation analyses performed using the PROCESS macro (Version 4.0). Results Individual mediation analysis revealed that perceived social support and loneliness partially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma experiences and depressive symptoms. In the parallel mediation model, both perceived social support and loneliness fully mediated the relationship between childhood trauma experiences and depressive symptoms. Conclusion The findings highlight the role of perceived social support and loneliness as mediators in the relationship between childhood trauma experiences and depressive symptoms. The findings contribute to evidence-based interventions, informing mental health policies, therapeutic strategies, and social support programs tailored to orphaned children. Childhood trauma experiences depressive symptoms orphaned children perceived social support loneliness self-esteem Rwanda Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 19 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 18 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 11 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 09 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 05 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 29 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Jul, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 28 Jul, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 28 Jul, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 26 Jul, 2025 First submitted to journal 18 Jul, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7158062","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":492500332,"identity":"05f79747-0b29-48e3-a472-ef28ec05f3b3","order_by":0,"name":"Justin 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