The relationship between child abuse and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo with the mediating role of experimental avoidance and the moderating role of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between child abuse and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo with the mediating role of experiential avoidance and the moderating role of attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder. In this study, the correlation of the statistical population included 1066 people in the age range of 18 to 60 years. At first, 40 of those who denied child abuse were excluded from the study and then the remaining individuals were divided into two groups based on the z score of the ADHD questionnaire. Research instruments include Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale (BAARS), Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Second Edition (AAQ-II). The findings showed that experiential avoidance mediates the relationship between child abuse and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, and attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder only modulates the relationship between child abuse and experiential avoidance. Conclusion Experimental avoidance mediates the relationship between child abuse and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and can play a role in the symptoms of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo. Therefore, researchers and therapists are advised to pay attention to the mediating role of experiential avoidance in the onset of symptoms of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in victims of child abuse.