Project description:Although abuse and neglect in the early years of life have been reliably linked to poor mental health outcomes in childhood, only a few studies have examined whether the predictive significance of childhood abuse and neglect endures for symptoms of psychopathology into adulthood. Here we examined to what extent prospectively assessed child abuse and neglect is associated with self-reported symptoms of psychopathology measured from ages 23 through 39 years, controlling for early demographic covariates and self-reported symptoms of psychopathology measured at age 16 years. The sample included 140 participants from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation. Participants were 49% female and 69% White/non-Hispanic. At the time of their child's birth, 48% of the mothers were teenagers (M = 20.5 years, SD = 3.74), 65% were single, and 42% had completed less than a high school education. Results indicated that childhood abuse and neglect was robustly associated with symptoms of psychopathology in adulthood. Exploratory analyses focusing on specific parametrizations of abuse/neglect suggested that abuse perpetrated by maternal figures (rather than paternal or nonparental figures) was uniquely associated with high levels of self-reported symptoms of psychopathology in adulthood. We found no evidence that any subtype of abuse and/or neglect or abuse/neglect during any particular phase of development uniquely predicted symptoms of psychopathology after controlling for relevant covariates. These results highlight the long-lasting significance of childhood abuse and neglect for reports of mental health in adulthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Project description:Childhood abuse confers risk for psychopathology and pathophysiology in midlife through intermediate pathways that remain unclear. Systemic inflammation was tested in the present study as one pathway that may link physical abuse in childhood to the adult functioning of corticolimbic brain circuits broadly implicated in risk for poor mental and physical health. Midlife adults (N = 303; 30-51 years of age; 149 women) without psychiatric, immune, or cardiovascular diagnoses provided retrospective reports of childhood physical abuse. Functional connectivity between corticolimbic brain areas (amygdala, hippocampus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex [vmPFC], anterior cingulate cortex [ACC]) was measured at rest using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Circulating levels of interleukin(IL)-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine previously linked to childhood abuse and corticolimbic functionality, were measured via blood draw. Consistent with prior studies, retrospectively reported childhood physical abuse was associated positively with circulating IL-6, and negatively with connectivity between the amygdala and vmPFC. IL-6 was also associated negatively with several corticolimbic functional connections, including amygdala-vmPFC connectivity. Moreover, path analyses revealed an indirect effect of IL-6 that partially explained the association between childhood physical abuse and adult amygdala-vmPFC connectivity. Consistent with recent neurobiological models of early life influences on disease risk across the lifespan, associations between childhood physical abuse and adulthood corticolimbic circuit functionality may be partially explained by inflammatory processes.
Project description:Higher perceived social support has been shown to buffer the impact of negative stressful events like childhood abuse on health outcomes. Yet, the role of perceived social support as a mediator of the association between childhood abuse and pain-related characteristics is not well understood. The present study explored this premise. Patients (n = 1,542) presenting to a tertiary-care, outpatient pain clinic completed a cross-sectional survey consisting of regularly collected clinical data and validated measures. Path analysis suggested that the impact of childhood abuse on sensory and affective pain-related characteristics was partially explained by perceived emotional support. Survivors of childhood abuse display a more complex clinical pain phenotype and this extends to more negative perceptions of social support. Our findings may reflect processes whereby childhood abuse negatively impacts social relationships across the lifespan, and these negative social perceptions and relationships influence sensory and affective components of pain.
Project description:ObjectiveNegative consequences of childhood maltreatment have been well-documented, including poorer executive functioning and nonverbal reasoning in midlife. However, not all adults with a history of childhood maltreatment manifest these outcomes, suggesting the presence of risk and protective factors. Based on growing empirical support for the importance of social variables in understanding neuropsychological development and functioning, we examined whether social support and social isolation mediate or moderate the effects of childhood maltreatment on cognitive functioning in midlife.MethodIn the context of a prospective cohort design study, individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment (ages 0-11 years) and demographically matched controls were followed up and interviewed in adulthood. Social support and isolation were assessed in young adulthood (Mage = 29), and cognitive functioning was assessed in midlife (Mage = 41). Structural equation modeling was used for mediation and linear regressions for moderation.ResultsChildhood maltreatment predicted higher levels of social isolation and lower levels of social support and cognitive functioning. Only social isolation mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and midlife cognitive functioning, whereas childhood maltreatment interacted with social support to predict Matrix Reasoning in midlife. Social support was protective for the control group but not for those maltreated.ConclusionsSocial isolation and social support play different roles in understanding how childhood maltreatment impacts midlife cognitive functioning. Greater social isolation predicts greater deficits in cognitive functioning overall, whereas the protective effects of social support are limited to those without a documented history of childhood maltreatment. Clinical implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
Project description:PurposeChildhood adversity (variously defined) is a robust risk factor for psychosis, yet the mitigating effects of social support in adulthood have not yet been explored. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between childhood sexual and physical abuse and adult psychosis, and gender differences in levels of perceived social support.MethodsA sample of 202 individuals presenting for the first time to mental health services with psychosis and 266 population-based controls from south-east London and Nottingham, UK, was utilised. The Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire was used to elicit retrospective reports of exposure to childhood adversity, and the Significant Others Questionnaire was completed to collect information on the current size of social networks and perceptions of emotional and practical support.ResultsThere was evidence of an interaction between severe physical abuse and levels of support (namely, number of significant others; likelihood ratio test χ(2) = 3.90, p = 0.048). When stratified by gender, there were no clear associations between childhood physical or sexual abuse, current social support and odds of psychosis in men. In contrast, for women, the highest odds of psychosis were generally found in those who reported severe abuse and low levels of social support in adulthood. However, tests for interaction by gender did not reach conventional levels of statistical significance.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of investigating the potential benefits of social support as a buffer against the development of adult psychosis amongst those, particularly women, with a history of early life stress.
Project description:ObjectivesThis study was performed to investigate the roles of childhood abuse and social support in predicting short- and long-term pharmacological treatment outcomes in outpatients with depressive disorders in a naturalistic 1-year prospective design.MethodsPatients were recruited at a university hospital in South Korea between March 2012 and April 2017. Subjects with stepwise pharmacotherapy (switching, augmentation, combination, and mixture of these approaches) included 1246 patients at 12-week points in the acute treatment response and 1,015 patients at 12-months in the long-term treatment response. Remission was defined as Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score ≤ 7. Exposure to three types of childhood abuse (physical, emotional, and sexual) before the age of 16 and perceived social support were assessed at baseline.ResultsIndividual associations of childhood abuse were associated with poorer treatment outcomes in the 12-month long-term phase, and no significant individual associations were found for social support level with any period outcome. In combination, any child abuse, emotional abuse, and physical abuse were significantly associated with long-term 12-month remission rate in the presence of higher level of social support after adjustment with significant interaction terms. However, no significant interactions were found with sexual abuse.ConclusionSynergistic interactive effects of child abuse and social support levels on treatment outcomes in depressive patients were found during long-term pharmacotherapy. Thus, depressed patients with a history of childhood abuse may require specialized clinical approaches, including social support, to enhance the long-term treatment outcomes.
Project description:Events causing stress responses during sensitive periods of rapid neurological development in childhood may be early determinants of all-cause premature mortality. Using a British birth cohort study of individuals born in 1958, the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and mortality?50 year was examined for men (n=7,816) and women (n=7,405) separately. ACE were measured using prospectively collected reports from parents and the school: no adversities (70%); one adversity (22%), two or more adversities (8%). A Cox regression model was carried out controlling for early life variables and for characteristics at 23 years. In men the risk of death was 57% higher among those who had experienced 2+ ACE compared to those with none (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.13, 2.18, p=0.007). In women, a graded relationship was observed between ACE and mortality, the risk increasing as ACE accumulated. Women with one ACE had a 66% increased risk of death (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.19, 2.33, p=0.003) and those with ?2 ACE had an 80% increased risk (HR 1.80, 95% CI 1.10, 2.95, p=0.020) versus those with no ACE. Given the small impact of adult life style factors on the association between ACE and premature mortality, biological embedding during sensitive periods in early development is a plausible explanatory mechanism.
Project description:BackgroundA single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs53576, of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) has been associated with fundamental aspects of social processes and behaviors. Compared to A carriers, GG individuals have enhanced social competencies and tend to elicit more positive responses from social partners. However, the G allele of the OXTR rs53576 has also been associated with greater social sensitivity.ObjectiveThe current study examined the unique influence of emotional childhood abuse on positive and negative aspects of different types of social relationships (e.g., family, spouse/partner, and friends) in midlife and whether genetic variations of OXTR rs53576 moderated these associations.Participants and settingA total of 614 participants in midlife (aged 40-65), recruited for a large-scale study of Phoenix metropolitan residents (AS U Live Project), answered self-report questionnaires and provided blood samples for DNA genotyping.MethodsHierarchical multiple regression analyses tested whether emotional childhood abuse predicted social support and strain for each relationship type and whether these potential linkages differed by OXTR genotype (GG versus AA/AG).ResultsOverall, individuals with a history of emotional childhood abuse had less supportive and more strained relationships in midlife. For supportive family relationships, the effect of emotional childhood abuse was moderated by OXTR rs53576 (p < .001). Under conditions of experiencing more emotional abuse in childhood, GG individuals had more supportive family relationships in midlife compared to A carriers.ConclusionsOverall, genetic variations of OXTR rs53576 may be an important candidate in understanding the development of social functioning within the context of emotional childhood abuse.
Project description:ObjectivesEstimate the causes and risk of death, specifically seizure related, in children followed from onset of epilepsy and to contrast the risk of seizure-related death with other common causes of death in the population.MethodsMortality experiences from 4 pediatric cohorts of newly diagnosed patients were combined. Causes of death were classified as seizure related (including sudden unexpected death [SUDEP]), natural causes, nonnatural causes, and unknown.ResultsOf 2239 subjects followed up for >30 000 person-years, 79 died. Ten subjects with lethal neurometabolic conditions were ultimately excluded. The overall death rate (per 100 000 person-years) was 228; 743 in complicated epilepsy (with associated neurodisability or underlying brain condition) and 36 in uncomplicated epilepsy. Thirteen deaths were seizure-related (10 SUDEP, 3 other), accounting for 19% of all deaths. Seizure-related death rates were 43 overall, 122 for complicated epilepsy, and 14 for uncomplicated epilepsy. Death rates from other natural causes were 159, 561, and 9, respectively. Of 48 deaths from other natural causes, 37 were due to pneumonia or other respiratory complications.ConclusionsMost excess death in young people with epilepsy is not seizure-related. Mortality is significantly higher compared with the general population in children with complicated epilepsy but not uncomplicated epilepsy. The SUDEP rate was similar to or higher than sudden infant death syndrome rates. In uncomplicated epilepsy, sudden and seizure-related death rates were similar to or higher than rates for other common causes of death in young people (eg, accidents, suicides, homicides). Relating the risk of death in epilepsy to familiar risks may facilitate discussions of seizure-related mortality with patients and families.
Project description:BackgroundPerceived social support (PSS) is a crucial factor in physical and mental health. Previous studies found a negative association between childhood maltreatment (CM) and current PSS.ObjectiveIn this paper, we investigate whether psychopathology moderates this association in a sample of patients with Depressive Disorder (DD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).MethodSixty-nine patients with DD and 110 patients with BPD were recruited to inpatient/day clinic treatment programmes for either DD or BPD. All participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU). Our hypothesis was tested with a moderator analysis in a multiple linear regression model.ResultsWe found a significant interaction between diagnosis and CM for the CTQ total score and the emotional abuse subscale. Post hoc analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between CM and PSS only for patients suffering from BPD and not for patients with DD.ConclusionOur results suggest that the negative association between CM and PSS might be more pronounced in certain patient groups, particularly patients with BPD.