Objective: To explore the influence of childhood psychological maltreatment on cognitive
flexibility and the mediating effect of self-esteem and social support on childhood psychological
maltreatment and cognitive flexibility of junior high school students in Shenzhen. Methods: 381 Child
Psychological Maltreatment Scale (CPMS), Two-dimensional Self-Esteem Scale-Revised (SLCS-R),
Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) and Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) were distributed by
whole level sampling, and correlation analysis and process macro program were used to test the mediating
effect. Results: the score of psychological maltreatment in childhood was 0.87 ± 0.72, the score of selfesteem
was 51 ± 11.44, the score of social support was 56.33 ± 14.87, and the score of cognitive flexibility
was 67.92 ± 11.41. Psychological maltreatment in childhood was negatively correlated with self-esteem
(r = -0.42, p < 0.01), social support (r = -0.44, p < 0.01) and cognitive flexibility (r = -0.27, p < 0.01);
Self esteem was positively correlated with social support (r = 0.52, p < 0.01) and cognitive flexibility
(r = 0.62, p < 0.01); There was also a significant positive correlation between social support and cognitive
flexibility (r = 0.53, p < 0.01); And self-esteem and social support play a chain mediating role in the
impact of childhood psychological maltreatment on cognitive flexibility. Conclusion: the experience of
psychological maltreatment in childhood has a negative impact on cognitive flexibility, and psychological
maltreatment has an impact on cognitive flexibility through the chain mediation of self-esteem and social
support.