The role of timing of maltreatment and child intelligence in pathways to low symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescence

Abstract

Research indicates that childhood maltreatment is strongly associated with high levels of adolescent depression and anxiety symptoms. Using LONGSCAN data and taking into account the range of family characteristics related to adversity (poverty, primary caregiver substance abuse) and protective factors (living with biological mother and father), the present study assessed the complex resilience process in which child intelligence (age 6) mediated the relationship between early childhood maltreatment (age 0–4) and adolescent symptoms of depression and anxiety (age 14). We also assessed if mid (age 6–8) and late (age 10–12) childhood maltreatment moderated this mediation. We found that mid-childhood intelligence mediated the negative effect of early childhood maltreatment (age 0–4) on anxiety symptoms (age 14), but not on depressive symptoms (age 14). We also found the effect of timing of maltreatment: early childhood maltreatment (age 0–4) predicted more anxiety symptoms in adolescence, whereas late childhood/early adolescent (age 10–12) maltreatment predicted more symptoms of depression in adolescence. In addition, mid (age 6–8) and late (age 10–12) childhood maltreatment dampened the protective effect of IQ (age 6) against anxiety (age 14). In sum, current evidence shows that low anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescence following childhood maltreatment was achieved through different pathways, and that early and late childhood/early adolescence were more sensitive periods for development of psychopathology related to depression and anxiety in adolescence.