Childhood Traumatic Events Research Articles

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil: assessing complex trauma in young children

AbstractComplex trauma generally refers to a child's exposure to multiple traumatic events often within the context of an interpersonal relationship. Childhood traumatic events are commonplace and can have significant implications for physical and mental health. However, traumatic events are often not assessed by clinicians involved in their care. This paper outlines an approach to assessing complex trauma in young children in clinical settings. This approach involves an initial interview, an assessment of traumatic events and trauma symptoms in the child, an assessment of the parent–child interaction, an understanding of the child's functioning in multiple settings, and an assessment of parental trauma where relevant. Complex trauma takes time to assess and is dependent on the parent's ability to recognise and acknowledge the effect trauma has had. The paper concludes with some of the challenges when assessing complex trauma in young children in clinical settings.

Differentiating Childhood Traumas in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Research on inflammatory bowel disease has shown a connection to childhood traumatic events. However, few studies have focused on specific types of traumatic experiences and the impact of confiding in others on disease-related outcomes. This comparative, cross-sectional study expected that: (1) patients would report higher prevalence rates of childhood traumas than healthy controls; (2) healthy controls would report fewer and less severe traumatic experiences than patients and less confiding in others compared to patients; (3) childhood trauma severity would be indirectly related to depressive symptoms through resilience and confiding in others would moderate this relationship. Participants completed an online survey; an inflammatory bowel disease patient group (N = 195, Mage = 40.48, 76.4% female) was compared to a similarly recruited sample of healthy controls (N = 190, Mage = 31.16, 59.5% female). Patients reported a higher prevalence of experiencing sexual traumas (P = .031), major upheavals (i.e., disruptions) (P = .048), and violence (P = .050) than controls. Patients had significantly higher total trauma severity odds ratios (OR 0.89, 95% CI[0.81,0.97]) and significantly lower total confiding in other odds ratios than controls (OR 1.09, 95% CI[1.02,1.16]). Childhood trauma severity was indirectly related to depressive symptoms through resilience, b = .05, SE = 0.09, 95% CI[0.01,0.09]; however, confiding did not moderate this relationship. Patients reported more sexual, disruptive, and violent traumas. Although confiding did not act as a moderator, trauma was related to depressive symptoms through resilience.

The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Self-objectification in Female College Students: The Mediating Role of Self-esteem

In order to explore the effects of childhood traumatic experiences and individual self-esteem level on female college students' self-objectification level and the functional mechanism, this study proposed hypotheses and constructed a model based on self-objectification theory and self-schema theory, and then used an online questionnaire to investigate 530 female college students. The results indicated that: (1) the traumatic experiences of female college students in childhood have a significant positive effect on their self-objectification level, which means that the more likely an individual is to objectify himself if he has experienced a traumatic event in childhood. (2)Female college students' self-esteem level has a full mediation effect between childhood trauma and self-objectification level. According to the results, this study has supplemented and proved the inducing factors of female self-objectification.

The effect of childhood trauma and resilience on psychopathology in adulthood: Does bullying moderate the associations?

BackgroundExposure to traumatic events in childhood, including bullying, can negatively affect physical and mental health in adulthood. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of bullying in different sociodemographic groups of the Slovak Republic and to assess the moderating effect of bullying on the associations between childhood trauma, resilience, and the later occurrence of psychopathology.MethodsFor the analyses, a representative sample of the population of the Slovak Republic was used (N = 1018, mean age 46.24 years, 48.7% of men). Multivariate linear regression models were used to investigate the predictive ability of childhood trauma (The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, CTQ) and resilience (The Brief Resilience Scale, BRS) to explain psychopathology (The Brief Symptom Inventory, BSI-53). Bullying (The Adverse Childhood Experiences – International Questionnaire, ACE-IQ) was used as a moderator.ResultsIn total, 13.5% of respondents have experienced bullying. The most common form of bullying was making fun of someone because of how their body or face looked (46.7%) and excluding someone from activities or ignoring them (36.5%). Higher scores in all types of psychopathology and the Global Severity Index (GSI) were significantly associated with higher scores of emotional and sexual abuse, and some of them with physical neglect. The protective effect of resilience was moderated by bullying in several types of psychopathology, specifically in somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, psychoticism, and the GSI.ConclusionUnderstanding the links between childhood trauma, bullying, and later psychopathology can help professionals target policies, resources, and interventions to support children and families at risk. Every child should feel accepted and safe at home and school.

Killing pain? A prospective population-based study on trauma exposure in childhood as predictor for frequent use of over-the-counter analgesics in young adulthood. The HUNT study

Frequent and increasing use of over-the-counter analgesics (OTCA) is a public health concern. Pain conditions and psychological distress are related to frequent OTCA use, and as exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTE) in childhood appears to increase risk of experiencing such symptoms, we aimed to assess childhood PTEs and related symptoms in adolescence as predictors for frequent OTCA use in young adulthood. Prospective population survey data were used (n = 2947, 59.1% female, 10–13 years follow-up). Exposure to PTEs, symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression, musculoskeletal pain and headache were assessed in adolescence (13–19 years). Use of OTCA was assessed in young adulthood (22–32 years) and use of OTCA to treat musculoskeletal pain and headache served as separate outcomes in ordinal logistic regression analyses. Overall, exposure to childhood PTEs, particularly direct interpersonal violence, was significantly and consistently related to more frequent use of OTCA to treat musculoskeletal pain and headaches in young adulthood. Adjusting for psychological symptoms and pain attenuated associations, indicating that these symptoms are of importance for the relationship between traumatic events and OTCA use. These findings emphasize the need to address symptomatology and underlying causes at an early age.

The role of prenatal violence exposure in the development of disparities in children's adiposity from birth to middle childhood.

This study examined whether women's exposure to multiple types of violence during childhood and pregnancy was associated with children's BMI trajectories and whether parenting quality moderated those associations. A cohort of 1288 women who gave birth between 2006 and 2011 self-reported their exposure to childhood traumatic events, intimate partner violence (IPV), and residential address (linked to geocoded index of violent crime) during pregnancy. Children's length/height and weight at birth and at age 1, 2, 3, 4 to 6, and 8 years were converted to BMI z scores. Observed mother-child interactions were behaviorally coded during a dyadic teaching task. Covariate-adjusted growth mixture models identified three trajectories of children's BMI from birth to 8 years old: Low-Stable (17%), Moderate-Stable (59%), and High-Rising (22%). Children whose mothers experienced more types of IPV during pregnancy were more likely to be in the High-Rising than the Low-Stable (odds ratio [OR] = 2.62; 95% CI: 1.27-5.41) trajectory. Children whose mothers lived in higher crime neighborhoods were more likely to be in the High-Rising than the Low-Stable (OR = 1.11; 95% CI:1.03-1.17) or Moderate-Stable trajectories (OR = 1.08; CI: 1.03-1.13). Main effects of childhood traumatic events and moderation by parenting were not detected. Maternal experiences of violence during pregnancy increase children's risk for developing overweight, highlighting intergenerational transmission of social adversity in children's health.

Empirically-derived dimensions of childhood adversity and cumulative risk: associations with measures of depression, anxiety, and psychosis-spectrum psychopathology

ABSTRACT Background: Investigating different approaches to operationalizing childhood adversity and how they relate to transdiagnostic psychopathology is relevant to advance research on mechanistic processes and to inform intervention efforts. To our knowledge, previous studies have not used questionnaire and interview measures of childhood adversity to examine factor-analytic and cumulative-risk approaches in a complementary manner. Objective: The first aim of this study was to identify the dimensions underlying multiple subscales from three well-established childhood adversity measures (the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Interview, and the Interview for Traumatic Events in Childhood) and to create a cumulative risk index based on the resulting dimensions. The second aim of the study was to examine the childhood adversity dimensions and the cumulative risk index as predictors of measures of depression, anxiety, and psychosis-spectrum psychopathology. Method: Participants were 214 nonclinically ascertained young adults who were administered questionnaire and interview measures of depression, anxiety, psychosis-spectrum phenomena, and childhood adversity. Results: Four childhood adversity dimensions were identified that captured experiences in the domains of Intrafamilial Adversity, Deprivation, Threat, and Sexual Abuse. As hypothesized, the adversity dimensions demonstrated some specificity in their associations with psychopathology symptoms. Deprivation was uniquely associated with the negative symptom dimension of psychosis (negative schizotypy and schizoid symptoms), Intrafamilial Adversity with schizotypal symptoms, and Threat with depression, anxiety, and psychosis-spectrum symptoms. No associations were found with the Sexual Abuse dimension. Finally, the cumulative risk index was associated with all the outcome measures. Conclusions: The findings support the use of both the empirically-derived adversity dimensions and the cumulative risk index and suggest that these approaches may facilitate different research objectives. This study contributes to our understanding of the complexity of childhood adversity and its links to different expressions of psychopathology.

Childhood traumatic events, alexithymia and perceived stress in patients with rheumatoid arthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease, causing joint-swelling and pain. International literature highlights that patients with RA are more likely to report high levels of alexithymia, adverse childhood events (ACEs) and stress, but studies investigating the association between these dimensions are lacking. The general aim of the present study is to investigate the association between alexithymia, ACEs, and stress in RA patients and to highlight possible predictors of greater perceived stress. One hundred and thirty-seven female patients with RA (mean age = 50.74; SD = 10.01) participated in an online survey between April and May 2021. Participants completed a questionnaire for the collection of sociodemographic and clinical information, the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Adverse Childhood Events questionnaire and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. The correlational analysis highlighted several significant associations between the dimensions evaluated. Regression analyses showed that alexithymia, ACEs and the perceived health status have a predictive effect on the perceived stress of RA patients. More specifically, the role of difficulty in identifying feelings, and the physical and emotional neglect, has been highlighted. ACEs and high levels of alexithymia are common in RA clinical populations and seem to affect the wellbeing of these patients. The use of a biopsychosocial approach to RA treatment appears essential in achieving a better quality of life and illness control in this specific clinical population.

The Association Between Prenatal Infection and Adolescent Behavior: Investigating Multiple Prenatal, Perinatal, and Childhood Second Hits

Exposure to infections during pregnancy may be a potential risk factor for later psychopathology, but large-scale epidemiological studies investigating associations between prenatal infection and long-term offspring behavioral problems in the general population are scarce. In our study, we aimed to investigate the following: (1) the association between prenatal infection and adolescent behavior, (2) putative underlying pathways (mediation), and (3) "second hits" interacting with prenatal infection to increase the risk of adolescent behavior problems (moderation). Our study was embedded in a prospective Dutch pregnancy cohort (Generation R; n= 2,213 mother-child dyads). We constructed a comprehensive prenatal infection score comprising common infections for each trimester of pregnancy. At age 13 to 16 years, we assessed total, internalizing, and externalizing problems, and autistic traits using the Child Behavioral Checklist and the Social Responsiveness Scale, respectively. We investigated maternal lifestyle and nutrition, perinatal factors (placental health and delivery outcomes), and child health (lifestyle, traumatic events, infections) as mediators and moderators. We observed associations of prenatal infection with adolescent total behavioral, internalizing, and externalizing problems. The association between prenatal infection and internalizing problems was moderated by higher levels of maternal psychopathology, alcohol and tobacco use, and a higher number of traumatic childhood events. We found no association between prenatal infection and autistic traits. Yet, children exposed to prenatal infections and maternal substance use, and/or traumatic childhood events, had a higher risk of autistic traits in adolescence. Prenatal infection may be a risk factor for later psychiatric problems as well as a disease primer making individuals susceptible to other hits later in life. Prenatal maternal infection and adverse neurodevelopment: a structural equation modelling approach to downstream environmental hits; https://osf.io/cp85a; cp85a. We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure that the study questionnaires were prepared in an inclusive way. We worked to ensure sex and gender balance in the recruitment of human participants.

Suppression and Memory for Childhood Traumatic Events: Trauma Symptoms and Non-Disclosure.

Self-reported lost memory of child sexual abuse (CSA) can be mistaken for "repressed memory." Based on our longitudinal studies of memory and disclosure in child maltreatment victims who are now adults, we discuss findings relevant to "repressed memory cases." We examined relations between self-report of temporarily lost memory of CSA (subjective forgetting) and memory accuracy for maltreatment-related experiences (objective memory). Across two studies involving separate samples, we find evidence for memory suppression rather than repression: (1) Most adults who claimed temporary lost memory of CSA reported memory suppression and clarified that they could have remembered the event if asked; (2) subjective forgetting was positively associated with accurate objective memory for maltreatment-related experiences. Subjective forgetting was also related to increased adult trauma symptoms and related to childhood non-disclosure of CSA. Moreover, trauma-related psychopathology mediated the relation between non-disclosure and subjective forgetting. Implications for psychological theory and repressed memory cases are discussed.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Tobacco Use Patterns Among Adults in the United States: Exploring sex differences.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which refer to childhood traumatic events, have been identified as risk factors for tobacco use in adulthood. However, studies are limited on the effect of sex on the association of ACEs with e-cigarettes and dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes. This study explored sex differences in the association of ACEs with e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes among adults in the United States. This was a cross-sectional analysis of data from adults aged ≥18 years in the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 62,768). ACEs, the independent variable, was a composite score assessed from 11 questions (with responses yes-1 or no/never-0) related to childhood emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and household dysfunction and categorized as 0 (reference), 1, 2, 3, or ≥4. The dependent variable, tobacco use patterns, included nonuse (reference), e-cigarette only, cigarette only, and dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to test the interaction between sex and ACEs while controlling for potential confounders. Although we found no statistically significant interaction by sex, a greater number of ACEs were associated with higher odds of the different tobacco use patterns among females and males, with varying strengths of associations. Specifically, females who reported ≥4 ACEs compared with none had higher odds of e-cigarette (aOR [95% CI]: 3.58 [1.49-8.63]), cigarette (2.57 [1.72-3.83]) and dual use (3.25 [1.79-5.91]) relative to nonuse. Males with ≥4 ACEs had higher odds of cigarette (1.75 [1.15-2.65]) and dual use (7.64 [3.95-14.79]). Our findings underscore the importance of developing appropriate, tailored trauma-informed intervention strategies for females and males. It is also important to consider ACEs in designing tobacco-specific preventive programs to curb initiation and promote cessation among U.S. adults.

Childhood trauma and fear of childbirth: findings from a birth cohort study

The aim of this study is to investigate if experiencing childhood trauma (emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical abuse, physical neglect, or sexual abuse) or a greater total burden of childhood trauma increase the risk of fear of childbirth (FOC). This study included 2556 women living in Southwest Finland. Women were recruited during routine ultrasound visits at gestational week (gwk) 12. Experiencing childhood trauma was assessed in retrospect with the Trauma and Distress Scale (TADS) questionnaire completed at gwk 14. Information on the diagnosis of FOC (ICD-10 diagnosis O99.80) was obtained from the Finnish Medical Birth Register. Associations between childhood trauma (domains and total TADS score) and FOC were analyzed with logistic regression in unadjusted and adjusted models. Emotional abuse (aOR 1.25, 95% CI 1.10–1.42), emotional neglect (aOR 1.26, 95% CI 1.08–1.46), and a greater total burden of trauma (TADS total score) (aOR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.10) increased the risk for FOC. We found no evidence for physical abuse (aOR 1.15, 95% CI 1.00–1.32), physical neglect (aOR 1.06, 95% CI 0.92–1.22), and sexual abuse (aOR 1.24, 95% CI 0.99–1.56) associating with FOC. Childhood emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and a greater total burden of childhood trauma increase the risk for FOC. However, the childhood traumatic events were inquired in retrospect, which could distort the events.

Traumatic events in childhood and adulthood in a diverse-ancestry sample and their role in bipolar disorder

We examined the presence of adverse events in both childhood and adulthood and the prevalence of PTSD in individuals with Bipolar Disorder (BD). There were 191 adults diagnosed with BD Type I and 924 controls, of predominantly African Ancestry (AA). All were administered the GPC-Screening Tool and the BD group the DIPAD. In addition Childhood adversities were measured using the ACE (from 0 to 10), about traumatic events before age 18 and lifetime adversities were measured with 15 questions adapted from the Study of Addiction: Genetics and Environment (A-SAGE (from 0 to 15) for all cases and controls. Probable PTSD (pPTSD) was measured with 4 questions on the GPC screener. Sum scores were calculated for the ACE and A-SAGE by tallying positive responses. Odd Ratios (OR) were used to measure the association between BD and Controls exposure to adversity. BD was associated with a significantly higher mean ACE score and A-SAGE score compared to controls. There was a significantly higher prevalence of pPTSD in the BD (54.5%) versus Controls (6.6%) as well. Greater OR's were seen in the BD compared to Controls for each ACE question (p<0.05). Results were similar for A-SAGE. Limitations include possible recall bias, and missing data.

Effect of Life Review Therapy for Holocaust Survivors: A randomized controlled trial.

Despite the therapeutic needs of aging Holocaust survivors, no randomized controlled trial (RCT) of psychotherapy exists for this population, with very few on older adults in general. This RCT aimed to compare the efficacy of Life Review Therapy for Holocaust survivors (LRT-HS) relative to a supportive control group. Holocaust survivors with a probable diagnosis of full or subsyndromal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depressive disorder were included. Exclusion criteria were probable dementia, acute psychotic disorder, and acute suicidality. The predefined primary endpoint was the course of PTSD symptom scores. In total, 49 of 79 consecutive individuals assessed for eligibility were randomized and included in the intent-to-treat analyses (LRT-HS: n = 24, control: n = 25; Mage = 81.5 years, SD = 4.81, 77.6% female). Linear mixed models revealed no statistically significant superiority of LRT-HS for PTSD symptoms at posttreatment, with moderate effect sizes, Time x Condition interaction: t(75) = 1.46, p = .148, dwithin = 0.70, dbetween = 0.41, but analyses were significant at follow-up, with large effect sizes, t(79) = 2.89, p = .005, dwithin = 1.20, dbetween = 1.00. LRT-HS superiority for depression was observed at posttreatment, t(73) = 2.58, p = .012, but not follow-up, t(76) = 1.08, p = .282, with moderate effect sizes, dwithin = 0.46-0.60, dbetween = 0.53-0.70. The findings show that even in older age, PTSD and depression following exposure to multiple traumatic childhood events can be treated efficaciously using an age-appropriate treatment that includes structured life review and narrative exposure.

Sex-specific differences in the circulatory response to postural stress among young adults with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—a highly prevalent assortment of traumatic childhood events (e.g., abuse)—are strongly linked to adult cardiovascular disease (CVD), though differently among males and females. Biological sex differences in the circulatory response to physiological stress (e.g., postural stress) have been well-characterized; however, whether ACEs affect this response differently among males and females remains unclear. This study tested the hypothesis that ACEs affect the circulatory response to head-up tilt (HUT; postural stress) differently among males and females. Three hundred ( n = 156 female; 22.4 ± 1.8 years) young adults recruited through the Niagara Longitudinal Heart Study (NLHS) were included in the current analyses. ACEs were assessed (Childhood Trust Events Survey 2.0) and participants were dichotomized into high (≥4 ACEs) and low (&lt;4 ACEs) exposure groups. Beat-by-beat mean arterial pressure (MAP; finger photoplethysmography) and heart rate (HR; electrocardiogram) were recorded during 10-minutes of supine rest and 5-minutes of 60° HUT. Sex-stratified, mixed-model regression analyses assessed the effect of ACEs on changes (Δ) in MAP and HR from supine rest to HUT, adjusting for age, body mass index, physical activity, and smoking status. During HUT, MAP increased to a similar extent in males with high and low ACEs exposure (ΔMAP: 11.5 ± 10.8 mmHg vs. 10.1 ± 10.9 mmHg, respectively; p &gt; 0.05). In contrast, MAP increased to a greater extent in females with high ACEs exposure compared to females with low ACEs exposure (ΔMAP: 11.3 ± 10.4 mmHg vs. 5.9 ± 9.8 mmHg, respectively; p = 0.003). HR increased during HUT in males with both high and low ACEs exposure; however, it increased to a lesser extent in males with high ACEs exposure compared to males with low ACEs exposure (ΔHR: 14.7 ± 7.5 bpm vs. 18.7 ± 8.1 bpm, respectively; p = 0.015). In females, HR increased to a similar extent during HUT in those with high and low ACEs exposure (ΔHR: 16.5 ± 8.1 bpm vs. 17.6 ± 8.9 bpm, respectively; p &gt; 0.05). These data suggest that ACEs affect the circulatory response to postural stress differently in males and females. Further, these data imply that sex-specific differences in circulatory regulation can be observed as early as young adulthood in those reporting high ACEs exposure. This work was supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and Brock University This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Psychiatric disorders, personality traits, and childhood traumatic events predicting incidence and persistence of chronic pain: results from the CoLaus|PsyCoLaus study.

Chronic pain (CP) is often accompanied by mental disorders (MDs). However, little is known concerning the long-term effect of MDs, personality traits, and early-life traumatic events (ETEs) on CP course. Accordingly, we aimed to prospectively assess the associations of major depressive disorders (MDDs), anxiety disorders, personality traits, and ETEs with the incidence and the persistence of CP in middle-aged and older community dwellers. Data stemmed from the 3 first follow-up evaluations of CoLaus|PsyCoLaus, a prospective cohort conducted in the general population of Lausanne (Switzerland). Diagnostic criteria for MDs and ETEs were elicited using semistructured interviews. CP and personality traits were assessed by self-rating questionnaires. Follow-up intervals were subdivided into 2 groups: those without (n = 2280) and those with (n = 1841) CP initially. The associations between the psychological variables and the occurrence or persistence of CP 5 years later were assessed using serially adjusted logistic regression models. Higher neuroticism (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 1.21 [1.08; 1.36]) and extraversion (1.18 [1.06; 1.32]) were associated with higher 5-year CP incidence, whereas current (2.14 [1.34; 3.44]) and remitted MDD (1.29 [1.00; 1.66]) as well as lower extraversion (0.83 [0.74; 0.94]) were associated with persistence of CP. By contrast, ETEs and anxiety disorders were not associated with the incidence or persistence of CP. Our results suggest that personality traits are associated with both CP occurrence and persistence, whereas the MDDs may be more associated with CP persistence. Both personality and MDD are accessible to psychotherapy, and MDD is also accessible to pharmacotherapy. Hence, these therapeutic measures might decrease the risk of CP and its persistence.

The mediating and moderating effects of resilience between childhood trauma and geriatric depressive symptoms among Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

This study aims to examine the association between childhood traumatic events (CTEs), childhood trauma severity, and depressive symptoms, as well as to examine the mediating and moderating roles of resilience in these associations. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,091 community-dwelling older adults in Jinan, China. The trauma history questionnaire (THQ) was used to measure CTEs and childhood trauma severity. CTEs were defined as the number of traumatic events before the age of 18. We calculated childhood trauma severity by multiplying the number of CTEs by the participants' self-perceived impact level of the events from the THQ. We then applied the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale and 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale to assess participants' depressive symptoms and resilience, respectively. Linear regression models were used to examine the associations, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediating and moderating roles of resilience. Childhood traumatic events, childhood trauma severity, and resilience were all associated with depressive symptoms in older adults. Resilience mediated the relationship between childhood trauma severity and depressive symptoms (β = 0.082, 95% CI = 0.045-0.123), accounting for 26.6% of the overall effect (β = 0.308, 95% CI = 0.190-0.422). However, there was no evidence that resilience mediated the association between CTEs and depressive symptoms. In addition, we did not find that resilience played a moderating role in the associations of CTEs, childhood trauma severity with depressive symptoms. Resilience plays a mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma severity and depressive symptoms. Intervention measures on improving resilience may reduce childhood trauma severity associated with depression risk in older Chinese adults.

Parasuicidal behavior in early stages of psychosis

IntroductionPsychotic experiences (PE) are strongly associated with non-suicidal self-harm (NSA). NSA are present throughout life, but are more frequent during adolescence and young adulthood. Early psychotic episodes (PEP) are a particularly vulnerable group compared to later phases of psychosis psychosis.ObjectivesAnalyze risk factors for suicide attempts and NSA, in order to improve early detection and prevention of suicides in adolescents and young adults with PDMethodsReview in the literature of the different risk factors associated with parasuicidal behaviors in early psychosisResults•Presence of positive psychotic symptoms: auditory hallucinations, Delusional ideation.•Social isolation•Longer duration of untreated psychosis.•Comorbid symptoms: irritability, depression, anxiety, psychotic distress, insomnia.•Traumatic events in childhood•Difficulty in regulating emotional, impulsivity and sensitivity to reward.•Consumption of substances.•Psychosocial stress.ConclusionsWe consider essential the inclusion of early intervention programs aimed at the prevention of suicide and NSA, evaluating all risk factors for suicide and NSA among individuals with a PEP and high-risk mental states.Initial assessment and ongoing assessments of suicide risk and parasuicidal behaviors, positive psychotic symptoms, depression, and the other related risk factors mentioned are required. Integrating trauma management into PEP care is critical.Bibliography:1.- Honings S, et al. Psychotic experiences and risk of self-injurious behaviour in the general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychol Med. 2016;46(02):237–51. doi: 10.1017/S00332917150018412.- Honings S, et al. Psychotic experiences and incident suicidal ideation and behaviour: Disentangling the longitudinal associations from connected psychopathology. Psychiatry Res. 2016;245:267–75. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.08.0023.- Nishida A, et al. Risk for suicidal problems in poor-help-seeking adolescents with psychotic-like experiences: Findings from a cross-sectional survey of 16,131 adolescents. Schizphr Res. 2014;159(2–3):257–62. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.09.030 39.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Gender differences in the relationship between sleep and childhood traumas

IntroductionSleep is one of the most important factors for well-being. Numerous studies have linked poor sleep to negative consequences such as depression (Guo et al., 2014), substance use (Comasco et al., 2010), obesity (Wu et al., 2015), and suicidality (Liu &amp; Buysse, 2006). Understanding the causes of poor sleep is an important public health concern. Childhood trauma can have a lifelong influence on mental health and development. However, many examinations of childhood trauma focus on the number of experiences and not the impact of specific experiences. Research has shown gender differences in both insomnia and childhood maltreatment outcomes (Lee et al., 2014); however, less attention has been paid to the potential role of gender in the link between other types of childhood trauma and sleep disturbance.ObjectivesThe goal of the current study is to understand the role of gender in the relationship between childhood traumas and sleep problems among a community sample of emerging adults. This research aims to build on and extend previous work in three different ways: 1) add to the literature on childhood trauma among emerging adults; 2) examine specific types of childhood traumas; and 3) expand the categories to explore the role of some less studied adversities.MethodsThe study included a sample of 211 young adults from an urban community. Traumas were measured with the Brief Trauma Questionnaire (BTQ; Schnurr et al., 1999) and sleep was measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Buysse et al., 1989). Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios for the relationship between sleep problems and five traumas (involved in a serious accident, experienced serious injury, violent death of a close family member or friend, witnessed someone’s serious injury or death, and natural disaster).ResultsResults showed that males and females experienced similar rates of trauma. Trauma experienced during childhood was associated with an increased prevalence of poor sleep. In the male model, being involved in a serious accident (OR=1.47), experiencing serious injury (OR=1.24), and experiencing a natural disaster (OR=1.11) were all significantly associated with poor sleep. In the female model, the violent death of a close family member or friend (OR=2.02), witnessing someone’s serious injury or death (OR=1.78), and experiencing a natural disaster (OR=1.69) were all significantly associated with poor sleep.ConclusionsTraumatic events may impact men and women differently. Women in the study showed greater sleep problems in the wake of childhood traumatic events. They also responded more strongly to events that they saw happening to other people, while men were more greatly affected by things that happened directly to them. Natural disasters are a relatively common event that has a strong impact on sleep. Intervention efforts addressing trauma and poor sleep should be aware of gender differences for greater efficacy.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Psychosocial Risk Factors and Psychopathological Outcomes: Preliminary Findings in Italian Pregnant Women

The perinatal period may represent a particularly challenging time for expecting parents. Previous studies have highlighted an association between several perinatal risk conditions (e.g., childhood maltreatment, poor social support, and stress levels) and the development of psychopathological symptoms in pregnant women, especially depression symptoms. The current study examined the effects of psychosocial risk factors (childhood maltreatment, poor social support, and stressful events) on anxiety, depression, perceived stress, irritability/anger, relationship problems, psychosomatic symptoms, specific physiological problems, and addiction/at-risk behaviors. Sixty-one pregnant women (age range = 24–45) participating in a larger study completed questionnaires about childhood maltreatment (CECA Q.), Maternity Social Support Scale (MSSS), questionnaire on stressful events, and the Perinatal Assessment of Maternal Affectivity (PAMA) during their pregnancy. Results from regression analysis indicated that the presence of childhood maltreatment predicted elevated depressive symptoms, elevated irritability and anger, and elevated relationship problems. Further, stressful events in the year prior to pregnancy predicted elevated psychosomatic symptoms during pregnancy. No other significant associations were found. In this study, traumatic childhood events were strongly associated with mental health symptoms during pregnancy. This is an important finding that suggests the importance of screening and targeting psychotherapeutic interventions for vulnerable women during pregnancy.