Tracing the trauma-social anxiety pathway: A systematic review of psychological mechanisms and methodological trends

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is an anxiety disorder that often begins in adolescence and is associated with traumatic experiences in childhood, especially emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. This study aims to systematically examine the relationship between childhood trauma and social anxiety, with a focus on underlying psychological mechanisms and methodological trends in recent empirical research. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. A total of 17 studies published between 2020 and 2025 were retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed using a thematic synthesis approach. The findings reveal a robust association between childhood trauma and social anxiety, primarily explained through multiple psychological mediators. Key mechanisms include difficulties in emotion regulation, negative self-related factors (e.g. low self-esteem and reduced self-compassion), loneliness, and heightened fear of social evaluation. In addition, several studies identify physical activity and social support as important protective factors that may buffer the impact of trauma on social anxiety. Methodologically, the literature is dominated by cross-sectional quantitative designs, with widespread use of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine complex mediation pathways. This review advances an integrative conceptual framework in which childhood trauma contributes to social anxiety through multi-layered cognitive-emotional processes shaped by both vulnerability and resilience factors. The findings underscore the importance of intervention approaches targeting internal psychological mechanisms, while also promoting protective resources. This study provides a stronger theoretical and empirical foundation for future longitudinal and intervention-based research on trauma and adolescent mental health.