Effects Of Childhood Maltreatment Research Articles

The Effect of Childhood Maltreatment on Violent Behavior in Adulthood

Childhood is the fastest and most critical developmental period for individuals to develop emotional and cognitive abilities. If children are abused, neglected, or raised in a family with traumatic experiences and dysfunctional dynamics during childhood, it is very likely to have an impact on their future development during adulthood. This review mainly discusses the contribution of childhood maltreatment to adult violent behavior. Previous studies on different aspects in the same direction were analyzed. It was found that with the trajectory, the negative impact of childhood maltreatment will not be reduced. Severity of maltreatment and later violent behavior, gender, experiences of different types of abuse, shame, personality disorder and some protective factors serve as mediators to varying degrees. Among them, psychopathy is a controversial intermediary factor. One study indicated that it could function as an intermediary factor, while another article only found it as a factor leading to violent behavior, and there was no evidence to prove the impact of maltreatment on it. This review can provide some guidance to the design of intervention programs for children in need.

Childhood Abuse and Trauma and the Depressive Symptoms of Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model

Researchers have increasingly worked to identify relevant ecological factors that can help prevent the development of depressive symptoms among adolescents. However, the underlying mechanisms of these factors are not fully understood. In this study, the effect of childhood abuse and trauma on the depressive symptoms of Chinese adolescents and its underlying mechanisms were examined, in terms of the mediating role of hopelessness and the moderating role of social problem-solving abilities. A sample of 786 college students participated in this study. The results showed that adolescents who were abused and traumatized as children had higher levels of depressive symptoms than others; furthermore, this relationship was mediated by hopelessness, while the path between hopelessness and depressive symptoms was moderated by their social problem-solving abilities. The results extend the findings of previous studies by revealing the underlying mechanisms between childhood abuse and trauma and Chinese adolescents’ depressive symptoms. The study has important implications for social work services regarding adolescents who have experienced childhood abuse and trauma.

The effect of childhood maltreatment on the prosocial behavior of Chinese university students: a chain mediation analysis

The effect of childhood maltreatment on the prosocial behavior of Chinese university students: a chain mediation analysis

An in-depth investigation of the widespread effects of child abuse on development and wellbeing

The problem of child abuse is an everywhere phenomenon throughout the world that leads to the most detrimental effects on the children in the question of their development and general health. This article makes an effort to convey the complexity of child abuse by focusing on its physical-emotional-sexual-neglect dimensions. The World Health Organization's exhaustive definition of the concept furnishes the basis for the acknowledgement of the injuries that one person can suffer from the relationships based on care, authority, or dependency. Approximately 40 million children around the world were abused last year regardless of whether they were wealthier, belonged to a particular culture or were badly educated. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child features childhood its age from the moment of birth until 18 years recognizing the fact that individuals at this age have specific vulnerabilities which are inherently tied to their dependence on others. The session next proceeds into addressing child abuse, with its different dynamics and levels of complexity. Brief description of different kinds of mistreatment including violence, sexual, emotional, and neglect specifying the urgent necessity to eliminate sexual abuse – especially the already existing one-in-ten girls globally. The consequences of child maltreatment on behavioral development throughout the various periods, including infant period through adolescence are considered. Stages of the syndicated approach will shed the light on the particular difficulties and bad results, promoting the application of the relevant measures. Issues concerning common behavioral signals include but are not limited to difficulty in identifying the signs and the importance of being able to sign them, which pays a big role in fighting the issue of abuse. Finally, the paper states that the world's dedication should never fail if our intentions are to end abuse among children. The main reason why every child ought to be ensured of a safe environment so that they can all flourish is that the diverse types of child abuse and the long-lasting impacts on the development of behavior need to be addressed in their entirety. Keywords: Child Abuse, Behavioral Development, World Health Organization, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Sexual Abuse, and Responsibility.

Perceived Community Belonging as a Moderator: Effects of Childhood Abuse on Health and Well-Being Among Middle-Aged and Older Canadians

ABSTRACT This study examined the moderating role of perceived community belonging in the relationship between childhood abuse and health and well-being outcomes among Canadian individuals aged 55 and older. Using data from the 2014 Canadian General Social Survey (n = 14,416), multiple linear regression models revealed that women who experienced either childhood physical or sexual abuse reported poorer self-rated general and mental health, as well as lower life satisfaction, compared to those without such histories. The most pronounced effects were observed among women who experienced both types of abuse. For men, a similar pattern was evident only for those who experienced childhood physical abuse. Notably, among women, a strong sense of community belonging lessened the negative effects of both types of childhood abuse on all examined outcomes. These findings underscore the protective role of perceived community belonging against the consequences of childhood abuse for older women. They illuminate the crucial role of gerontological social workers and scholars in promoting community integration and support. Focusing on these areas, especially for those with traumatic histories, can potentially improve their overall health and well-being.

The effects of childhood maltreatment, recent interpersonal and noninterpersonal stress, and HPA-axis multilocus genetic variation on prospective changes in adolescent depressive symptoms: A multiwave longitudinal study.

Based on a multiwave, two-year prospective design, this study is the first to examine the extent to which multilocus hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis)-related genetic variants, childhood maltreatment, and recent stress jointly predicted prospective changes in adolescent depressive symptoms. A theory-driven multilocus genetic profile score (MGPS) was calculated to combine the effects of six common polymorphisms within HPA-axis related genes (CRHR1, NR3C1, NR3C2, FKBP5, COMT, and HTR1A) in a sample of Chinese Han adolescents (N = 827; 50.2% boys; Mage = 16.45 ± 1.36 years). The results showed that the three-way interaction of HPA-axis related MGPS, childhood maltreatment and recent interpersonal, but not noninterpersonal, stress significantly predicted prospective changes in adolescent depressive symptoms. For adolescents with high but not low HPA-axis related MGPS, exposure to severe childhood maltreatment predisposed individuals more vulnerable to recent interpersonal stress, exhibiting greater prospective changes in adolescent depressive symptoms. The findings provide preliminary evidence for the cumulative risk mechanism regarding gene-by-environment-by-environment (G × E1 × E2) interactions that underlie the longitudinal development of adolescent depressive symptoms and show effects specific to interpersonal stress.

Effects of childhood maltreatment and major depressive disorder on functional connectivity in hippocampal subregions.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with childhood maltreatment is a prevalent clinical phenotype. Prior studies have observed abnormal hippocampal activity in MDD patients, considering the hippocampus as a single nucleus. However, there is limited research investigating the static and dynamic changes in hippocampal subregion functional connectivity (FC) in MDD patients with childhood maltreatment. Therefore, we employed static and dynamic FC analyses using hippocampal subregions, including the anterior hippocampus and posterior hippocampus, as seed regions to investigate the neurobiological alterations associated with MDD resulting from childhood maltreatment. This study involved four groups: MDD with (n = 48) and without childhood maltreatment (n = 30), as well as healthy controls with (n = 57) and without (n = 46) childhood maltreatment. Compared to MDD patients without childhood maltreatment, those with childhood maltreatment exhibit altered FC between the hippocampal subregion and multiple brain regions, including the anterior cingulate gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, putamen, calcarine gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, angular gyrus, and supplementary motor area. Additionally, dynamic FC between the right medial-2 hippocampal head and the right calcarine gyrus shows a positive correlation with childhood maltreatment across all its subtypes. Moreover, dFC between the right hippocampal tail and the left angular gyrus moderates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and the depression severity. Our findings of distinct FC patterns within hippocampal subregions provide new clues for understanding the neurobiological basis of MDD with childhood maltreatment.

The trauma challenge: How teachers experience students with complex trauma

AbstractResearch documenting the effects of trauma in early childhood describes the profound and long‐term consequences of child abuse and neglect on the developing brain and the subsequent deficits in critical cognitive and social development. While educators have increasingly endeavoured to understand this impact and become more ‘trauma‐informed’ in their classrooms, little is understood about the process or what it requires of the teacher. This study explores the experiences of six teachers in regional Victoria, Australia, who sought to apply their neuroscientific understandings in their classrooms, and identifies the many personal and professional challenges they confronted. Critical reflection was employed both to deeply explore their collective experiences and to support them in this complex work. Findings describe the nuanced and interpersonal nature of trauma‐informed education and imply the need for critical reflection in teacher practice as an important element in the process.

Longitudinal trajectories of adult sibling relationship quality and psychological well‐being: The effect of childhood maltreatment

AbstractObjectivesThis study examined (a) the effect of childhood maltreatment on the trajectory of emotional closeness with siblings and (b) whether and how a history of childhood maltreatment affects the longitudinal association between emotional closeness with siblings and older adults' psychological well‐being.BackgroundPrior studies have suggested that childhood maltreatment may have lasting adverse effects on later‐life relationships with family members of origin, which may include adult siblings.MethodsWe used three‐wave data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Latent growth curve modeling was conducted to examine the associations between perceived sibling closeness and the psychological well‐being of 4,736 older adults.ResultsOur findings showed that the trajectory of perceived sibling closeness differed between older adults who experienced childhood maltreatment and those who did not. Perceived sibling closeness was lower at baseline for those who experienced maltreatment and did not change over time, whereas perceived sibling closeness increased over time for those who did not experience maltreatment. Further, older adults who reported greater sibling closeness over time showed less of a decline in psychological well‐being, of which patterns did not differ between the maltreated and nonmaltreated groups.ConclusionChildhood maltreatment was found to have long‐term negative effects on the emotional quality of sibling relationships in late adulthood.ImplicationsMore research is needed to explore potential mechanisms that explain these lifelong associations, which will inform the development of timely interventions that can help reduce the long‐lasting influence of adverse childhood experiences on the dynamics and relationships in later‐life families.

Associations between childhood maltreatment and physiological dysregulation in adulthood: Methodological decisions and implications

BackgroundChildhood maltreatment is linked with health problems in adulthood. Theoretical models suggest that maltreatment leads to dysregulation in several bodily systems, and this has been corroborated using measures of physiological function (i.e., biomarkers). Methodological decisions involving the measurement of maltreatment and dimension reduction with respect to biomarkers (i.e., combining information across multiple measures) may influence research findings. ObjectiveThe present study compares associations between childhood maltreatment and adult physiological dysregulation using multiple dimension reduction approaches and measures of maltreatment. Participants and settingParticipants were recruited, as children, to a prospective study of the correlates and consequences of childhood maltreatment. 253 participants were retained and provided biomarker data at midlife. Physiological dysregulation was operationalized with a conventional allostatic load approach and a novel statistical distance approach. MethodsRegression models were employed with allostatic load or statistical distance as the outcome and prospectively or retrospectively measured child maltreatment as the primary predictor. ResultsWhen using allostatic load as the outcome, prospectively measured childhood maltreatment was positively associated with physiological dysregulation (b = 0.70, SE = 0.31, p = 0.02). When using statistical distance as the outcome, retrospectively measured childhood maltreatment was positively associated with physiological dysregulation (b = 0.69, SE = 0.19 p < 0.001). ConclusionsWe report a positive association between childhood maltreatment and physiological dysregulation at midlife. However, the significance and magnitude of effects varied with different maltreatment and physiological dysregulation measures. Further review of the methods used to study adult health conditions and their relation to childhood maltreatment is needed.

The role of thought suppression and negative urgency in eating disorder symptoms and alcohol-related problems among survivors of childhood maltreatment

ABSTRACT Objective The current cross-sectional study examined the mediating role of thought suppression and negative urgency in the associations between childhood maltreatment, eating disorder symptoms, and alcohol-related problems in a sample of college students (N = 603). Method A path model was tested to examine the direct and indirect effects from maltreatment to eating disorder symptoms and alcohol-related problems via thought suppression and negative urgency over and above sex and negative affect. Results Childhood maltreatment was directly associated with thought suppression (β = 0.09, SE = 0.04, p < 0.05), negative urgency (β = 0.13, SE = 0.04, p < 0.01), and eating disorder symptoms (β = 0.14, SE = 0.05, p < 0.01). The effect of childhood maltreatment on alcohol-related problems was indirect via negative urgency (β = 0.018, CI 95% [0.005, 0.039]). Contrary to hypotheses, the indirect effect of maltreatment on eating disorder symptoms via thought suppression and negative urgency was not significant. Conclusions The present study identified different pathways from childhood maltreatment to alcohol problems and sheds light on the effects of thought suppression on negative urgency. Although these emotion regulation strategies are often studied in their standalone form, findings suggest that these regulatory mechanisms may co-occur and offer avenues for prevention.

The Consequences of Child Abuse.

This review provides an overview of the consequences of early adverse experiences across various domains of life. Drawing on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) conceptual framework, we discuss the ACE pyramid and the varying degrees of consequences that ACE exposure may elicit. Using online search engines such as Google Scholar, the authors sifted through empirical research to locate relevant articles and research to help prepare this review. This article sheds light on the implications of ACEs for health, socio-emotional and psychosocial well-being, relationships, personality, and cognitive functioning.

The effect of childhood maltreatment on adult survivors' parental reflective function, and attachment of their children: A systematic review.

Parental reflective function (PRF) is a candidate mechanism in the transmission of intergenerational trauma. This systematic review examined (1) the association between parental history of childhood maltreatment and PRF, (2) how PRF relates to attachment in children of parent survivors, and (3) whether PRF moderates the association between parental maltreatment history and child attachment. Ten databases were searched (from inception to 10th November 2021). Inclusion criteria were primary study, quantitative, parent participants, measures of childhood maltreatment, and postnatal PRF. Exclusion criteria were qualitative, intervention follow-up, gray literature, or a review study. Risk of bias was assessed using recommended tools. Data were narratively synthesized. One-thousand-and-two articles were retrieved, of which eleven met inclusion criteria (N = 974 participants). Four studies found a significant association between parental childhood maltreatment and disrupted PRF, six did not, one found mixed results. One study reported the association between childhood maltreatment and attachment (nonsignificant results). There is no clear evidence PRF is routinely disrupted in parent survivors, though there is high heterogeneity in studies. Future research should standardize design to better understand whether PRF is a candidate mechanism in intergenerational trauma. PROSPERO CRD42020223594.

A new era in child maltreatment prevention: call to action.

A new era in child maltreatment prevention: call to action.

The effects of childhood maltreatment on cortical thickness and gray matter volume: a coordinate-based meta-analysis.

Childhood maltreatment has been suggested to have an adverse impact on neurodevelopment, including microstructural brain abnormalities. Existing neuroimaging findings remain inconsistent and heterogeneous. We aim to explore the most prominent and robust cortical thickness (CTh) and gray matter volume (GMV) alterations associated with childhood maltreatment. A systematic search on relevant studies was conducted through September 2022. The whole-brain coordinate-based meta-analysis (CBMA) on CTh and GMV studies were conducted using the seed-based d mapping (SDM) software. Meta-regression analysis was subsequently applied to investigate potential associations between clinical variables and structural changes. A total of 45 studies were eligible for inclusion, including 11 datasets on CTh and 39 datasets on GMV, consisting of 2550 participants exposed to childhood maltreatment and 3739 unexposed comparison subjects. Individuals with childhood maltreatment exhibited overlapped deficits in the median cingulate/paracingulate gyri simultaneously revealed by both CTh and GM studies. Regional cortical thinning in the right anterior cingulate/paracingulate gyri and the left middle frontal gyrus, as well as GMV reductions in the left supplementary motor area (SMA) was also identified. No greater regions were found for either CTh or GMV. In addition, several neural morphology changes were associated with the average age of the maltreated individuals. The median cingulate/paracingulate gyri morphology might serve as the most robust neuroimaging feature of childhood maltreatment. The effects of early-life trauma on the human brain predominantly involved in cognitive functions, socio-affective functioning and stress regulation. This current meta-analysis enhanced the understanding of neuropathological changes induced by childhood maltreatment.

Adults with a child maltreatment history: Narratives describing individual strengths that promote positive wellbeing

BackgroundChild maltreatment often has negative impacts, but some individuals have strengths that lead to better outcomes. ObjectiveDescribe the narratives of adults who experienced childhood maltreatment, all of whom had positive psychosocial wellbeing at average age 18 years. Participants and settingA purposive sample of 21 adults (mean age 27.8 years SD = 1.0) who were part of a longitudinal study on the effects of childhood maltreatment. The sample was self-described as 85.7 % female, 14.3 % male, 42.9 % Black, 33.3 % Latinx, 19.0 % White, and 4.8 % multiracial. MethodsThis descriptive qualitative study, which is part of a sequential mixed method study, used semi-structured interviews and a narrative analysis approach. Four coders completed: (1) initial reading of sample interviews (2) generating codes independently and discussion, (3) creating a codebook, (4) reviewing 10–11 transcripts each (5) reconvening to discuss/resolve differences in coding, (6) identifying themes. ResultsThere were four themes. The first theme was seeing oneself in a good light, highlighting self-worth and helper roles. The second theme, moving forward, included letting go of their past and a future orientation. Coping with life, the third theme, included boundaries for people around them, routines, and self-sufficiency. Meaning making, the fourth theme, included insights on the effect of their maltreatment and foster care, and reflections on appreciating life and adapting to changing circumstances. ConclusionsFindings describe varied strengths that promote positive functioning after childhood maltreatment. Study themes highlight how these strengths allow adults to make meaning of their experiences and move forward successfully in life.

Sex moderates family history of alcohol use disorder and childhood maltreatment effects on an fMRI stop-signal task.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) and a family history (FH) of alcohol use disorder (AUD) are each associated with increased impulsivity. However, their unique or shared brain targets remain unknown. Furthermore, both CM and FH demonstrate sex-dependent effects on brain and behavior. We hypothesized that CM and FH interact in brain regions involved in impulsivity with sex-dependent effects. 144 first-year college students (18-19 years old) with varying experiences of CM and/or FH but without current AUD performed an fMRI stop-signal task. We tested interactions between FH, CM, and sex on task performance and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal during successful inhibitions. We examined correlations between BOLD response and psychiatric symptoms. Significant three-way interactions of FH, CM, and sex were detected for brain and behavioral data, largely driven by male subjects. In males, CM was associated with poorer response inhibition but only for those with less FH; males with higher levels of both CM and FH demonstrated better response inhibition. Three-way interaction effects on voxel-wise BOLD response during response inhibition were found in bilateral middle frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex. Network-level analyses implicated the left frontoparietal network, executive control network, and default-mode network. Greater BOLD response in these networks correlated with lower depressive, impulsive, and attentional symptoms, reduced alcohol misuse, greater resilience scores, and heightened trait anxiety. The results highlight sex-divergent effects of heritable and environmental risk factors that may account for sex-dependent expression of psychopathology in response to risk factors.

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.

Effect of childhood maltreatment on cognitive function and its relationship with personality development and social coping style in major depression disorder patients: A latent class model and network analysis.

The study aimed to (1) analyze the interrelationships among different types of childhood adversity, diverse personality dimensions, and individual coping style integratively among major depressive disorder (MDD) patients and healthy participants using a network approach; (2) explore the latent class of child maltreatment (CM) and its relationship with cognitive function. Data were collected from the Objective Diagnostic Markers and Personalized Intervention in MDD Patients (ODMPIM) study, including 1,629 Chinese participants. Using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to assess CM, the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire to measure individual coping style, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Short Form for personality characters, and a series of neurocognitive tests, including seven tests with 18 subtests for cognitive assessments. We used the "Network Module" in Jeffreys's Amazing Statistics Program (JASP) and R package for network analysis. A latent class analysis was performed with SAS9.4. Child maltreatment was more common in MDD patients than in healthy controls, except for emotional abuse. Network analysis showed that emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical abuse, and physical neglect formed quadrangle connections. Personality dimensions were associated with physical neglect and emotional abuse. All types of CM (excluding sex abuse) showed an association with coping style. Emotional neglect showed the highest centrality measures. Physical neglect had a high level of closeness. To a concerning strength, emotional and physical neglect showed the highest levels. The structure of the networks is variant between groups (M = 0.28, P = 0.04). Latent class analysis (LCA) revealed that three classes provided the best fit statistics. Neglect and abuse classes tended to perform more poorly on the five cognitive domains. This study provided insights on multi-type of CM. Neglect played an important role in different routes through the relation between CM with personality traits and social coping style. However, neglect has often been ignored in previous studies and should receive more public attention.

The Effect of Childhood Abuse on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: The Mediating Role of Experiential Avoidance

儿童期虐待；创伤后应激障碍；经验性回避；小学生