Different Types Of Childhood Maltreatment Research Articles

Continuous chains: childhood maltreatment and intimate partner violence victimization among displaced women in a war context

BackgroundChildhood victimization has been associated with long-term psychological effects and an increased risk of being victimized in later life. Previous research has primarily focused on sexual abuse during childhood, and a wide range of consequences have been identified. However, a significant gap remains in our understanding of the complex interaction between different forms of childhood abuse and violence in later life, particularly in the context of broader social stressors such as armed conflict and displacement.MethodsThis study examines the association between exposure to different types of childhood maltreatment in the context of family and intimate partner violence (IPV) among displaced women living in refugee camps in northern Iraq. Structured interviews were conducted by trained female psychologists with 332 women aged between 20 and 62 years.ResultsResults indicated that over one-third of the participating women reported experiencing at least one occurrence of IPV by their husbands within the past year. In addition, participants reported experiences of different types of maltreatment (physical, emotional, and sexual violence and physical and emotional neglect) perpetrated by family members in their childhood. While all forms of childhood maltreatment showed an association with IPV within the past year, only emotional childhood maltreatment was found to be a significant predictor of IPV in a multivariate analysis.ConclusionThe study highlights the ongoing impact of child maltreatment and its contribution to increased vulnerability to IPV victimization in later life. In addition, this study describes the specific cultural and contextual elements that contribute to IPV in refugee camps.

Protective role of resilience on the associations between childhood maltreatment and internalising and externalising problems.

Different types of childhood maltreatment have negative effects on individual mental and behavioural outcomes. However, most of previous studies investigated their effects separately. Little is known about the effects of co-occurring maltreatment profiles on adolescents' developmental outcomes and the potential protective factor. The current study sought to identify distinct profiles of childhood maltreatment and examine the effects of profiles of childhood maltreatment on internalising and externalising problems and the protective role of resilience based on two-wave longitudinal data, which was collected from a sample of 670 Chinese adolescents (Mage=15.50, SDage=0.75, 48.4% boys). Four profiles of childhood maltreatment, that is, No maltreatment (67.9%), High neglect (23.0%), High abuse and neglect/Low sexual abuse (5.0%), and Multi-maltreatment (4.1%), were identified. Adolescents in High neglect, High abuse and neglect/Low sexual abuse, and Multi-maltreatment profiles were more likely to report internalising and externalising problems. Further, significant moderating effects of resilience only emerged for the association between the High neglect profile and internalising problems, such that high levels of resilience may weaken the association between the High neglect profile and internalising problems. Our findings revealed the importance and utility of identifying maltreatment profiles to tailor treatment based on specific maltreatment experiences. Resilience-oriented intervention could be considered for Chinese adolescents who have experienced high neglect.

Differential Associations of Childhood Abuse and Neglect With Adult Autonomic Regulation and Mood-Related Pathology.

This study assessed whether different types of childhood maltreatment (i.e., abuse versus neglect) had differential relationships with heart rate variability (HRV) and baroreflex sensitivity. In addition, this study tested the indirect effect of maltreatment subtypes on adult mood-related psychopathology via HRV, and whether these relationships differed in those with HRV above and below established clinical cutoffs. Secondary analysis was performed using the Midlife Development in the United States data set ( N = 967; Mage = 55; 58.4% female; 75.9% White). In a single study visit, autonomic measurements were captured at rest, during two cognitive stressors (Stroop and MATH tasks), and during recovery after the tasks. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the relationships between key variables during all three measurement periods. Resting pathways from abuse and neglect to baroreflex sensitivity were nonsignificant, as was the pathway from HRV to mood-related pathology. Notably, greater abuse was significantly predictive of lower HRV (standardized β = -0.42, p = .009), whereas greater neglect was significantly predictive of higher HRV (standardized β = 0.32, p = .034). In addition, higher abuse was significantly predictive of greater adult symptoms (standardized β = 0.39, p < .001), but neglect was not found to be related to adult mood-related pathology. Significant relationships between variables were only found in those with low HRV. Although cross-sectional, our findings provide further evidence that low HRV may be a transdiagnostic endophenotype for mood-related pathology and suggest that greater differentiation between abuse and neglect is appropriate when investigating the impact of childhood maltreatment on adult health outcomes.

Pathways between childhood maltreatment and life satisfaction in adolescents with eating disorders: Anetwork analysis.

This study explored the association between Childhood maltreatment (CM) experiences and life satisfaction in adolescents with eating disorders (EDs). Adolescent inpatients with EDs completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 at admission (n=361) and discharge (n=354). A network analysis was conducted to identify the shortest pathways between different types of CM and life satisfaction at admission and discharge. General psychopathology, life satisfaction, and ED symptoms improved from admission to discharge. At admission, emotional abuse and emotional neglect were included in the pathway between sexual/physical abuse and life satisfaction. Emotional neglect was directly connected with life satisfaction while emotional abuse was connected through feeling disliked by others, feelings of inferiority and worthlessness. At discharge, only the direct negative connection between emotional neglect and perception of excellent conditions in the life persisted. Emotional maltreatment experiences and general psychopathology, but not disordered eating symptoms, are involved in the association between sexual/physical CM and life satisfaction in adolescents with EDs. Emotional neglect may affect life satisfaction regardless of symptoms severity. These findings inform clinicians for assessment and treatment of maltreated adolescents with EDs.

Gender-specific associations between types of childhood maltreatment and major depressive disorder: A matched case-control study.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been found to be nearly twice as prevalent in females as in males. One hypothesis proposed that abused females were particularly prone to MDD. We aim to examine the sex-specific associations between various types of childhood trauma and MDD. In this study, 290 outpatients diagnosed with MDD were recruited from Beijing Anding Hospital, and 290 healthy volunteers were recruited from neighborhoods nearby the hospital, with sex, age, and family history matched. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) developed by Bernstein et al. was used to assess the severity of five different types of childhood abuse and neglect. McNemar's test and conditional logistic regression models with potential confounders (i.e., marital status, educational level, and body mass index) controlled were used to explore the sex-specific associations between different types of childhood maltreatment and MDD. In the full sample, patients with MDD showed a significant higher rate of any childhood maltreatment (i.e., emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect). Among females, all types of childhood abuse were statistically significant. For males, significant differences were only found in emotional abuse and in emotional neglect. It would appear that MDD in the outpatients is associated with any type of childhood trauma in women and emotional abuse or neglect in men.

Associations of different types of child maltreatment and diabetes in adulthood – the mediating effect of personality functioning: Findings from a population-based representative German sample

Associations of different types of child maltreatment and diabetes in adulthood – the mediating effect of personality functioning: Findings from a population-based representative German sample

Gender difference in the associations of childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents with mood disorders.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a common feature among adolescents with mood disorders. Although childhood maltreatment has shown to be associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), previous studies have yielded mixed results in terms of different subtypes of childhood maltreatment and only few studies have investigated the effects of gender. The present cross-sectional study investigated effects of different types of childhood maltreatment on NSSI, as well as the role of gender in these effects. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 142 Chinese adolescent inpatients with mood disorders (37 males and 105 females) were consecutively recruited within a psychiatric hospital. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. Participants were administered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM). 76.8% of the sample reported engaging NSSI in the previous 12 months. Female participants were more likely to engage in NSSI than males (p < 0.001). Participants in the NSSI group reported significantly more experiences of emotional abuse (p < 0.001) and emotional neglect (p = 0.005). With regards to gender differences, female participants who have experienced emotional abuse were more likely to engage in NSSI (p = 0.03). As a whole, NSSI represents a frequent phenomenon among adolescent clinical populations and females were more likely to engage in NSSI than males. NSSI was significantly related to experiences of childhood maltreatment and specifically related to emotional abuse and emotional neglect over and above other types of childhood maltreatment. Females were more sensitive to emotional abuse than males. Our study highlights the importance of screening for subtypes of childhood maltreatment as well as considering the effects of gender.

Child Maltreatment, Mental Health, and Self-Reported Health Among Adolescent Girls in Child Welfare: Mediating Pathways.

Child maltreatment is common in the US and has been shown to be associated with physical and psychological health problems in adolescence and adulthood. Based on the allostatic load theory, this study examined the association between different types of child maltreatment (emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and physical neglect) and self-rated health, and the mediating roles of post-traumatic stress and depression in these relationships. Participants were 249 girls involved in the child welfare system, ages 12-19 years, the majority of whom were African American. A one item self-reported general health measure, the Child Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) and the Child Depression Inventory (CDI) measured self-reported health, child maltreatment,and posttraumatic and depression symptoms, respectively. Higher levels of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and physical neglect were significantly associated with poorer ratings of health. PTSD and depression were significant mediators between histories of childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and physical health. In conclusion, results indicate that the pathways from child abuse to physical health problems in adolescents are through psychological distress. Trauma focused interventions to reduce symptoms of PTSD and depression among this vulnerable group of adolescents are essential to improve health.

Child maltreatment and alexithymia: A meta-analytic review.

Alexithymia refers to difficulties identifying and describing one's emotions. Growing evidence suggests that alexithymia is a key transdiagnostic risk factor. Despite its clinical importance, the etiology of alexithymia is largely unknown. The present study employs meta-analytic methods to summarize findings on the role of one hypothesized antecedent of adult alexithymia, namely child maltreatment. We obtained effect size estimates from 99 independent samples reported in 78 unique sources that reported both child maltreatment history and adult levels of alexithymia. These studies involved a total of 36,141 participants. Using correlation coefficients as our effect size index, we found that child maltreatment was positively related to overall adult alexithymia (r = .23 [.19, .27]). Notably, emotional abuse (r = .18 [.13, .23]), emotional neglect (r = .21 [.16, .26]), and physical neglect (r = .18 [.15, .22]) were the strongest predictors. Effects were moderated by gender, affiliation with clinical versus nonclinical samples, and publication status. Overall results were robust to publication bias and the presence of outliers. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the complex connection between different types of child maltreatment and alexithymia, providing greater insight into the early environmental influences on alexithymia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Unintentional Injuries Are Associated with Self-Reported Child Maltreatment among Swedish Adolescents

Injuries constitute a large share of childhood morbidity and mortality. This study examines whether adolescents with self-reported experiences of different types of child maltreatment more frequently reported unintentional injury events requiring health- or dental care during the last year and/or hospitalization at any time during childhood. Cross-sectional data from a Swedish national representative school survey (2016) including 4741 adolescents were used (78.5% response rate). Data were analyzed with univariate tests and multiple logistic regression. Statistically significant associations between reported experiences of physical, psychological and sexual abuse, neglect, and witnessing partner violence during childhood and reported unintentional injuries requiring health- or dental care during the last year were found (aOR:s between 1.39-1.77). The corresponding association for poly-victimization was aOR 1.91 (95% CI 1.39-2.62). Furthermore, a linear-by-linear association was seen for degree of victimization and number of episodes of unintentional injuries that required care in the last year (p = 0.000), as well as lifetime hospitalizations (p = 0.000). This study shows significant associations between child maltreatment and unintentional injuries requiring health- and/or dental care and hospitalization. To improve both injury and child maltreatment prevention, healthcare professionals need to pay particular attention to children and adolescents who repeatedly seek healthcare services due to injurious events.

Gender- and age-specific associations of childhood maltreatment with peripheral serum inflammatory cytokines in middle school students.

The impact of childhood maltreatment on multiple inflammatory cytokines among middle school students remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to examine the associations of different types of childhood maltreatment with peripheral serum inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-10, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α) in middle school students, and to explore the differences in these associations between boys and girls and between late (≥15 and<20 years) and early (≥11 and <15 years) adolescence. A total of 1122 students were recruited from a boarding middle school. Each participant was asked to respond to a detailed questionnaire on childhood maltreatment, from whom one blood sample was drawn via venous blood. In the overall sample there was no association between childhood maltreatment and peripheral serum inflammatory cytokines; (2) emotional abuse was significantly correlated with IL-1β only in girls (B = -0.16; 95% CI, -0.28~-0.03; p = 0.06); (3) in late adolescence, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and childhood maltreatment had marked link with IL-8 (B = 0.39; 95%CI, 0.16~0.63; p = 0.01; B =0.20; 95% CI, 0.04~0.37; p = 0.08; B = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.18~0.82; p = 0.01, respectively). These findings also strengthened an inference regarding the effects of childhood maltreatment on inflammation of students in late adolescence.

Child Maltreatment Education: Utilizing an Escape Room Activity to Engage Learners on a Sensitive Topic.

Child Maltreatment Education: Utilizing an Escape Room Activity to Engage Learners on a Sensitive Topic.

Associations of different types of child maltreatment and diabetes in adulthood – the mediating effect of personality functioning: Findings from a population-based representative German sample

This study aimed to examine the role of personality functioning in the association between various types of child maltreatment (CM) (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse as well as physical and emotional neglect) and diabetes in adulthood. Analyses are based on representative data of the German population (N=5,041) from 2016 to 2019. Self-report questionnaires assessed diagnosis of diabetes, child maltreatment (CTQ), personality functioning (OPD-SQS), and symptoms of depression/anxiety (PHQ-4). Odd ratios were calculated to examine the association between CM and diabetes, and mediation analyses including PHQ-4 as covariate were conducted to examine the role of personality functioning. All CM types significantly elevated the odds of having diabetes in adulthood. Personality functioning mediated the association between abuse and diabetes (sexual: b=0.012, 95% CI [.002, 0.022], PM=25.0%, physical: b=0.009, 95% CI [.001, 0.017], PM=12.0%, and emotional: b=0.013, 95% CI [.002, 0.024], PM=59.8%), but not between neglect and diabetes. CM is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, with personality functioning being a relevant mediator for CM abuse types. Hence, by focusing on CM prevention and considering impaired personality functioning in diabetes treatment, diabetes self-management and health behavior could be improved.

Personality functioning and the pathogenic effect of childhood maltreatment in a high-risk sample

BackgroundWhile the psychopathological sequalae of childhood maltreatment are widely acknowledged, less is known about the underlying pathways by which childhood maltreatment might lead to an increased risk for mental health problems. Recent studies indicated that impaired personality functioning might mediate this relationship. The aim of the present paper was to extend the current literature by investigating the mediating effect of impaired personality functioning between different types of childhood maltreatment and self-reported mental health problems in a high-risk sample.MethodsOverall, 173 young adults (mean age = of 26.61 years; SD = 3.27) with a history of residential child welfare and juvenile justice placements in Switzerland were included in the current study. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), Semi-structured Interview for Personality Functioning DSM-5 (STiP-5.1) and the self-report questionnaires of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment scales (ASEBA) were used. Mediation analyses were conducted through structural equation modeling.ResultsOverall, 76.3% (N = 132) participants indicated at least one type of childhood maltreatment, with emotional neglect being most commonly reported (60.7%). A total of 30.6% (N = 53) participants self-reported mental health problems. Emotional abuse (r = 0.34; p < .001) and neglect (r = 0.28; p < .001) were found to be most strongly associated with mental health problems. In addition, impaired personality functioning was fond to be a significant mediator for overall childhood maltreatment (β = 0.089; p = 0.008) and emotional neglect (β = 0.077; p = 0.016). Finally, impaired self-functioning was found to be a significant mediator when both self-functioning and interpersonal functioning were included as potential mediators in the relationship between overall childhood maltreatment (β1 = 0.177, p1 = 0.007) and emotional neglect (β1 = 0.173, p1 = 0.003).ConclusionEmotional neglect may be particularly important in the context of childhood maltreatment, personality functioning, and mental health problems and, therefore, should not be overlooked next to the more “obvious” forms of childhood maltreatment. Combining interventions designed for personality functioning with trauma-informed practices in standard mental health services might counteract the psychopathological outcomes of maltreated children and adolescents.

Childhood maltreatment, impulsive aggression, and suicidality among patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is associated with a history of childhood maltreatment, impulsive aggression, and lethal suicide attempts. Often, aggression and violence prevent the diagnosed individual from receiving timely access to mental health care, leading to adverse outcomes such as repeated psychiatric hospitalization or even incarceration. In this study, we recruited a sample of 150 low-income patients with bipolar disorder from an outpatient behavioral health clinic affiliated with an urban public hospital in Southeastern United States. We explored whether different types of childhood maltreatment (physical, sexual, emotional) are associated with impulsive aggression among individuals with bipolar disorder. Additionally, we examined whether impulsive aggression is related to suicidality. Finally, we sought to test the potential mediated effect of impulsive aggression on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and suicidality. Findings suggest that all direct associations were significant and that impulsive aggression was a significant mediator in the relationship between childhood emotional and sexual abuse. However, when childhood physical abuse was included as an independent variable in the model, impulsive aggression did not mediate the association, even though impulsive aggression was related to suicidality. Results from this study suggest that impulsive aggression exerts a wide-ranging impact on suicidality in the context of childhood trauma in those with bipolar disorder. In the future, targeted interventions to address the underlying etiologies of aggression may translate into an improved quality of life, decreased rates of suicidality, and positive clinical outcomes among individuals with bipolar disorder. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

What About the Children? Co-Occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Parental Separation.

The aim of this study was to investigate (a) the extent to which child maltreatment co-occurs with parental separation and (b) associations between different types of child maltreatment and various types of separation-associated interparental conflict. Professionals working with children (N = 785) reported each case of suspected child maltreatment they observed during a 3-month period and indicated whether parental divorce or separation was about to take place or had taken place. This resulted in 530 reported cases that matched the definitions of child maltreatment for which information on parental relationship status was available. Most of the maltreated children (60%) also experienced (impending) parental separation. In 69% of these cases child maltreatment was associated with parental separation. Particularly, cases of emotional neglect, and emotional abuse co-occurred with parental separation. In addition, four clusters of separation-associated interparental conflict were distinguished- No observed conflict, Non-physical conflict, Verbal and physical conflict, and Multiple conflict-which were associated with child and family characteristics and specific types of child maltreatment. The results of this study suggest that child maltreatment often co-occurs with parental separation, especially when there is a considerable amount of interparental conflict.

Childhood maltreatment is not associated with atopic dermatitis in adults: results from a cross-sectional population-based cohort study.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is related to poor physical and mental health outcomes in adults. Knowledge on the impact of CM on skin diseases is limited, and no study has previously addressed the association of CM with atopic dermatitis (AD) in adult age. To analyse the prevalence of CM in individuals with physician-diagnosed AD, and to examine the relationship between different types of CM with physician-diagnosed AD in a general population sample of German adults. Data from 2973 participants from the cross-sectional population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) TREND-0 were analysed (aged 20 to 83 years; 51.4% female). We administered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) assessing emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and emotional and physical neglect. AD was diagnosed by dermatologists in a standardized clinical examination. We conducted logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, sex and school education to investigate the association of CM types with AD. Among all individuals with AD, 20.6% reported to have experienced at least one type of moderate or severe CM. Emotional and physical neglect were the most frequently reported CM types. Overall, the prevalence of CM types among individuals with AD did not differ from those among individuals without AD. We found no association of CM type with AD. This is the first study investigating the association of CM with AD in adults. CM was common in the present general population sample, emphasizing that CM is an important public health problem. Our findings suggest that CM is not a risk factor for AD. It might be hypothesized that AD severity is a crucial outcome, and that CM history is a factor with impact on disease severity and course rather than a risk factor for the development of AD. Longitudinal studies are required to address this question.

Effects of maltreatment during childhood on benign and malicious envy in adulthood: Psychological resilience as a moderator

We explored the effect of two forms of maltreatment of children (emotional and physical) on two kinds of envy in adulthood (benign and malicious), and the moderating role of psychological resilience in these associations. Participants were 676 Chinese undergraduates who completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Benign and Malicious Envy Scale, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. The results indicate that of the two types of childhood maltreatment, only emotional maltreatment negatively predicted benign envy and positively predicted malicious envy. Psychological resilience played a moderating role in the childhood emotional maltreatment–benign/malicious envy link and childhood physical maltreatment–malicious envy link. These results reveal the direct relationships between different types of childhood maltreatment and benign/malicious envy and the moderating effect of psychological resilience in these associations. Our findings have theoretical and practical implications for cultivating psychological resilience to inhibit malicious envy and promote benign envy in adults.

Association of childhood maltreatment with subsequent dating violence: An analysis of revictimization among the Korean population

Childhood maltreatment is a universal issue impacting developmental outcomes, including the likelihood of experiencing violence in later life. Although previous works have focused on the cycle of abuse, the cycle of revictimization and neglect is less well-understood. In the current study, childhood exposure to maltreatment (physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect) are examined as potential risk factors for dating relationships in adulthood. A group of 1200 adults (mean age = 46.60 years; range: 20–84 years) were recruited from the registered residential population of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security. Logistic regression analyses were conducted and revealed that childhood physical abuse was associated with physical, emotional, and financial violence in dating relationships. In addition, childhood emotional abuse exposure was associated with physical and sexual dating violence. Although childhood exposure to neglect did not explain any types of adulthood dating violence, it appears that experiencing abuse during childhood is highly related to dating violence in adulthood. Our findings revealed the importance of understanding the different types of childhood maltreatment, especially in terms of how they relate to violence victimization in the context of dating in adulthood. Interventions should address the various types of childhood victimization by family members to help prevent dating violence in adulthood.

Prediction of childhood maltreatment and subtypes with personalized functional connectome of large-scale brain networks.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) has a long impact on physical and mental health of children. However, the neural underpinnings of CM are still unclear. In this study, we aimed to establish the associations between functional connectome of large‐scale brain networks and influences of CM evaluated through Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) at the individual level based on resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 215 adults. A novel individual functional mapping approach was employed to identify subject‐specific functional networks and functional network connectivities (FNCs). A connectome‐based predictive modeling (CPM) was used to estimate CM total and subscale scores using individual FNCs. The CPM established with FNCs can well predict CM total scores and subscale scores including emotion abuse, emotion neglect, physical abuse, physical neglect, and sexual abuse. These FNCs primarily involve default mode network, fronto‐parietal network, visual network, limbic network, motor network, dorsal and ventral attention networks, and different networks have distinct contributions to predicting CM and subtypes. Moreover, we found that CM showed age and sex effects on individual functional connections. Taken together, the present findings revealed that different types of CM are associated with different atypical neural networks which provide new clues to understand the neurobiological consequences of childhood adversity.