Do trait-level emotion regulation strategies moderate associations between retrospective reports of childhood trauma and prospective changes in systemic inflammation?

Abstract

Childhood trauma may confer risk for poorer adult health through changes in systemic inflammation. Emotion regulation may plausibly moderate associations between childhood trauma and adult psychological well-being, but it remains unclear whether moderation effects extend to differences in systemic inflammation. To examine whether childhood trauma and emotion regulation separately and interactively predict prospective changes in C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and whether biopsychosocial factors account for observed associations. Healthy midlife adults (N=331) retrospectively reported on childhood trauma, current trait-level cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, and had their blood drawn. At baseline and then a median of 2.85years later, 279 of the 331 participants had their blood drawn, body mass index calculated, and reported on health behaviours (smoking, sleep), psychological distress (perceived stress, depressive symptoms), and years of education. Childhood trauma predicted prospective increases in CRP (B=0.004, p=0.049), which were partially accounted for by differences in adiposity, psychological distress, and health behaviours. In contrast, cognitive reappraisal predicted prospective decreases in IL-6 (B=-0.007, p=0.006), which were independent of biopsychosocial influences. Cognitive reappraisal further moderated the association between childhood trauma and prospective changes in IL-6 (B=-0.001, p=0.012) such that childhood trauma predicted greater IL-6 increases but only among adults lower in cognitive reappraisal (B=0.006, p=0.007). There were no main or moderation effects of expressive suppression (ps>0.05). Cognitive reappraisal may attenuate IL-6 changes over time and may moderate the prospective association between childhood trauma and systemic inflammation in midlife.