Childhood Experiences Of Neglect Research Articles

Childhood traumatic experiences and complex posttraumatic stress disorder in Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of attachment.

The prevalence of child maltreatment is high in China. Child maltreatment damages children's developing abilities (e.g., emotional functions, self-perception) and is highly associated with a new diagnostic disorder, namely, complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). The mechanism of CPTSD is not clear, and attachment might be a crucial factor in the development of CPTSD symptoms. The prevalence of child maltreatment is high in China. Child maltreatment damages children's developing abilities (e.g., emotional functions, self-perception) and is highly associated with a new diagnostic disorder, namely, complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). The mechanism of CPTSD is not clear and attachment might be a crucial factor in the development of CPTSD symptoms. To explore the mediating roles of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance in the relationship between five forms of childhood trauma (i.e., physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, sexual abuse) and CPTSD symptoms. The present study included 395 adolescents who had experienced at least one type of traumatic childhood experience. Our findings showed that emotional abuse could predict posttraumatic stress disorder and disturbances of self-organization (DSO) symptoms via attachment anxiety. In addition, childhood neglect experiences (i.e., physical and emotional neglect) could predict DSO symptoms via attachment avoidance. Attachment is an important framework for understanding individuals' CPTSD symptoms following childhood traumatic experiences. Parents and educators should learn effective parenting styles that promote secure attachment, while researchers and clinical practitioners should further explore attachment-based trauma intervention approaches. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining whether the impact of different types of interpersonal violence and mental disorders on attempted suicide is greater for bisexual women.

This national study examined whether different types of interpersonal violence and mental disorders were associated with greater risk for attempted suicide among bisexual women than heterosexual women. Data were used from participants in Wave II of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions in the United States of America who identified as female and either heterosexual or bisexual (N = 19,261; 71% White). Logistic regression models tested the main and interactive effects of three types of interpersonal violence (i.e., childhood abuse, childhood neglect, or intimate partner violence [IPV]), four types of mental disorders (i.e., mood, anxiety, substance use, and posttraumatic stress) and sexual orientation (i.e., bisexual vs. heterosexual) on attempted suicide. A post hoc logistic regression also tested the main and interactive effects of four types of anxiety disorders (i.e., panic disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder [GAD]) and sexual orientation on attempted suicide. Sexual orientation moderated the impact of childhood neglect, IPV, and anxiety disorders on attempted suicide. Bisexual women who experienced childhood neglect, IPV, or an anxiety disorder had 3.75, 1.43, and 6.24 greater odds, respectively, of attempted suicide, compared to heterosexual women who reported these problems. Additionally, bisexual women who had GAD had 1.66 greater odds of attempting suicide compared to heterosexual women who had GAD. Findings elucidate factors that may increase suicide risk in vulnerable populations as called for by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's suicide prevention strategic plan. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Childhood Neglect and Loneliness: The Unique Roles of Parental Figure and Child Sex.

There is a well-supported link between experiences of childhood neglect and levels of loneliness in adulthood, with emotional neglect from caregivers being predictive of loneliness. However, current research has yet to explore additional, sex-linked factors that influence this relationship. This study investigates the impact of different neglect types on loneliness, with a focus on the parental figure involved and the child's sex. It was hypothesized that men who experienced emotional neglect from their fathers would score higher in loneliness compared to other parent-child combinations. The findings showed no significant differences in father-son relationships within the context of emotional neglect. However, there was a significant difference in father-son relationships in the context of supervision neglect and loneliness outcomes, relative to all other parent combinations. Consistent with existing research, emotional neglect emerged as the strongest predictor of loneliness. Additionally, sex differences were observed, with women experiencing greater levels of loneliness stemming from neglect compared to men. These findings help address the knowledge gap present in childhood neglect research, with the goal of understanding the long-term consequences of adverse childhood experiences.

The Protective Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in Intergenerational Cycles of Neglect.

Offspring of parents who experienced childhood neglect are at increased risk for developing internalizing problems. Empirical evidence suggests this link is principally mediated through parenting behavior. However, such intergenerational cycles of adversity are found to be disrupted in many families. Parasympathetic nervous system functioning is well documented to mediate individuals' emotion regulation biologically. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is a validated biomarker for parasympathetic activity. The goal of the current study was to investigate the moderating role of parent RSA reactivity in the effect of parents' childhood neglect on their children's internalizing problems, through parental acceptance. Physiological and survey data were collected from 145 dyads (94% mothers; Youth Mage = 12.9, Youth SDage = 0.85). Results suggest that the effect of parents' childhood neglect on their child's internalizing problems was conditional on parents' RSA reactivity. Specifically, higher levels of parents' neglect were only linked to increased risk for youth internalizing problems if parents exhibited a lack of RSA withdrawal. Further, this moderating effect was found to be mediated through parental acceptance. Findings suggest understanding intergenerational consequences of child maltreatment contexts should include consideration of bioregulatory factors.

Environmental sensitivity increases susceptibility to resilient contexts in adults with childhood experiences of neglect

Empirical evidence regarding the impact of childhood emotional neglect on later adjustment is mixed, with some studies reporting neglect to predict low psychological well-being, while others reporting a well-adjusted development despite childhood experiences of emotional neglect. This heterogeneity is understood within a resilient framework where individual and contextual factors act as moderators. This is the first study investigating the moderating role of environmental sensitivity and contextual resilience on the association between childhood emotional neglect and psychological well-being.737 students from the University of Florence with an age ranging from 18 to 30 years (M = 19.81; SD = 1.91; 87% female) took part in the research. To investigate the effects of childhood emotional neglect on relational well-being, and the moderating role of environmental sensitivity and contextual resilience on the impact of emotional neglect, a series of generalized linear models, including only main effects and then adding interaction terms, were run and compared. Results provided support for a three-way interaction model, with environmental sensitivity and contextual resilience moderating the impact of childhood emotional neglect on relational well-being in young adulthood (B = .37, SE = .11, p < .001). Among those who experienced severe levels of childhood emotional neglect, young adults high in environmental sensitivity were more susceptible to the positive impact of supportive contexts, presenting higher levels of well-being compared to those low in environmental sensitivity. This study suggests that promoting supportive contexts in adulthood might reduce the impact of severe childhood emotional neglect, particularly in individuals with an increased environmental sensitivity.

Dimensions of childhood maltreatment and adult risky behaviors: Differential affective and inhibitory control mechanisms

BackgroundWhile childhood maltreatment has been identified as a robust risk factor for a myriad of poor outcomes, significant gaps in our understanding still remain regarding mechanisms of this risk transmission across the lifespan. ObjectiveInformed by recent dimensional models, the objective of this study was to examine how unique dimensions of childhood maltreatment relate to adult risky behaviors via interactions between cognitive control and affective processes across Positive and Negative Valence Systems. Participants and settingOur sample consisted of 110 community adults (M/SDage = 31.92/10.58 years old, 52.7 % male). MethodsParticipants completed a neuropsychological test of inhibitory control and self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, recent adult risky behaviors, and indices of affective processing. ResultsModerated-mediation analyses revealed that childhood experiences of neglect and abuse exhibited distinct mechanisms of risk transmission related to adult risky behaviors. Specifically, disruptions in inhibitory control and reward-related processes were linked to adult risky behavior in the context of Childhood Deprivation (95%CI = −0.166/−0.002), whereas negative affective processes were associated with adult risky behavior in the context of Childhood Threat (95 % CI = 0.015/0.157). ConclusionsFindings provide empirical support for novel dimensional theories of childhood maltreatment and suggest that distinct regulatory processes are impacted by these early life experiences, which may confer risk into adulthood.

A trauma model of substance use: Elaboration and preliminary validation

The current study expands on and integrates previous theoretical models concerning the pathways that link child maltreatment to substance use disorder. The proposed model, based on the self-medication hypothesis, suggests that experiences of neglect and abuse during childhood can lead to substance use and abuse both directly and indirectly, via dissociation resulting from failed attempts to integrate experiences of maltreatment in childhood. The model was tested on ten substances (painkillers, stimulants, sedatives, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, and methamphetamine) via structural equation modeling (SEM) in a sample comprising 1040 community-dwelling adults (67 % women) aged between 18 and 78 (M = 29.55, SD = 11.37). Fit indexes of the SEM were good, thus supporting the hypothesized model. Specific forms of child maltreatment were related to increased use of specific substances; however, experience of childhood neglect (both physical and emotional) was found to have a central role in predicting use of most substances. Although no single pathway can fully explain the origins of substance abuse, the current study provides evidence of a critical developmental pathway to it, with implications for theory and clinical practice.

The early and later-life care experiences of individuals using short-term homeless services: an attachment-informed interpretative phenomenological analysis

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the care experiences of individuals using short-term homeless services in the UK, who identify as being neglected in childhood. The study endeavours to give voice to the subjective experiences of homeless individuals in these specific domains and optimise therapeutic and housing services provided to individuals from this sub-population.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews containing elements of the “Adult Attachment Interview” (AAI) were conducted with eight individuals who had experienced childhood neglect and used short-term homeless services in adulthood. Interviews were analysed using an attachment informed version of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (AI-IPA).FindingsAnalysis parsed participants’ data into four master themes: “Everything was wrecking all the time”: Unsafe spaces; “Kind of pretending I was […] dead”: Strategies for survival; “My mum didn’t believe me”: Traumatic self-shaping; and “My first reckoning with self”: Restoration & Recovery. Together, themes indicated that participants had undergone traumatic early and later-life care experiences but were engaged in idiosyncratic recovery journeys. The meanings that participants derived from their past experiences of neglect were nuanced and interacted with their current relationships in complex and highly personal ways.Originality/valueBy applying an innovative methodology to a predominantly unchartered empirical area, this project extends existing research and presents a meaningful set of results. Implications for the delivery of short-term homeless services and therapeutic practitioners are discussed.

Childhood neglect and trajectories of affective symptoms throughout adulthood: A British birth cohort study

BackgroundChildhood maltreatment, including neglect, can affect an individual's mental health. However, there is a gap in current literature investigating the long-term, dynamic effects of childhood neglect on adult affective symptoms (AS). MethodData were used from the National Child Development Study (a British 1958 birth cohort). Childhood neglect was prospectively measured at ages 7 and 11. Five distinct trajectories of AS have been derived previously, using data from the Malaise Inventory Scale (at ages 23, 33, 42 and 50): ‘no symptoms’, ‘persistent mild/moderate symptoms’, ‘low and increasing symptoms’, ‘high and increasing symptoms’ and ‘high and decreasing symptoms’ (John et al., 2019). Multinomial logistic regressions were used to explore whether childhood neglect was associated with AS trajectory membership, while adjusting for a number of covariates. ResultsResults revealed that childhood neglect was significantly associated with ‘high and decreasing’, ‘high and increasing’ and ‘persistent mild/moderate’ AS trajectories from young adulthood through midlife. There was no association with the ‘low and increasing’ AS trajectory. When testing for at age specific effects, neglect experienced at age 7 only, or at age 11 only, was predictive of ‘high and decreasing symptoms’ trajectory, whereas neglect experienced at both ages was predictive of ‘persistent mild/moderate symptoms’ trajectory. ConclusionsChildhood neglect has negative long-lasting effects on trajectories of adult mental health. This finding has important implications for early intervention for individuals who have experienced childhood neglect.

Attachment insecurity moderates the link between maternal childhood neglect and postpartum bonding to the infant.

Mothers who experienced childhood neglect are at increased risk of parenting difficulties in adulthood, but adult attachment relationships may be protective. Eighty-eight postpartum women seeking outpatient psychiatric care completed self-report measures on adverse childhood experiences, adult attachment, mental health symptoms, and bonding. Beyond the effects of maternal mental health on bonding, childhood neglect predicted bonding difficulties only in mothers with more insecure attachments, suggesting adult attachment as a potential point of intervention to reduce the intergenerational transmission of risk.

Effects of Early Life Stress on Bone Homeostasis in Mice and Humans.

Bone pathology is frequent in stressed individuals. A comprehensive examination of mechanisms linking life stress, depression and disturbed bone homeostasis is missing. In this translational study, mice exposed to early life stress (MSUS) were examined for bone microarchitecture (μCT), metabolism (qPCR/ELISA), and neuronal stress mediator expression (qPCR) and compared with a sample of depressive patients with or without early life stress by analyzing bone mineral density (BMD) (DXA) and metabolic changes in serum (osteocalcin, PINP, CTX-I). MSUS mice showed a significant decrease in NGF, NPYR1, VIPR1 and TACR1 expression, higher innervation density in bone, and increased serum levels of CTX-I, suggesting a milieu in favor of catabolic bone turnover. MSUS mice had a significantly lower body weight compared to control mice, and this caused minor effects on bone microarchitecture. Depressive patients with experiences of childhood neglect also showed a catabolic pattern. A significant reduction in BMD was observed in depressive patients with childhood abuse and stressful life events during childhood. Therefore, future studies on prevention and treatment strategies for both mental and bone disease should consider early life stress as a risk factor for bone pathologies.

Childhood Neglect and Psychological Distress Among Pregnant Women: The Chain Multiple Mediation Effect of Perceived Social Support and Positive Coping.

This study aimed to investigate the association between childhood neglect and psychological distress in pregnant women and to assess whether perceived social support and coping styles mediated this association. Pregnant women (N = 276) recruited from the prenatal clinic of a comprehensive hospital in China participated in this study. Participants reported their experiences of childhood neglect and abuse, depression, anxiety, perceived social support, and coping styles. Childhood neglect was positively associated with psychological distress. Perceived social support mediated the relationship between childhood neglect and psychological distress. Perceived social support and positive coping acted as chain mediators between childhood neglect and psychological distress. Childhood neglect is a risk factor for psychological distress during pregnancy independent of childhood abuse; perceived social support and positive coping can influence this relationship.

Who Am I and What Do I Need? Identity Difficulties as a Mechanism of the Link Between Childhood Neglect and Adult Sexual Disturbances

Objectives A growing body of research suggests that childhood neglect is associated with several negative repercussions in adulthood such as low self-esteem. However, we know little about howvictims navigate their sexuality. Methods: We explored associations between childhood neglect, identity impairment and sexual disturbances in adulthood, and examined the mediating role of identity difficulties in the relationship between childhood neglect and sexual disturbances. Results: Path analyses revealed that childhood neglect was associated with more identity impairment, which in turn, was associated with greater sexual disturbances. Conclusions: Results highlight the relevance of addressing identity difficulties in people who experienced childhood neglect and are struggling with sexual difficulties.

The Effects of Childhood Trauma on Drug Use

Exposure to childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect have been found to have a positive association with drug use. Various studies have demonstrated how individuals may turn to drugs as a form of coping. However, this is a negative form of coping, which can take a toll on one’s mental state and even impact families and society. Studies have reported that a higher number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a stronger association with substance use later in life [1,3]. Recent research has also demonstrated those who experienced childhood neglect also displayed anxiety or depression, which might suggest a reason for the connection between the negligence and drug use [14]. There is also research that shows that childhood maltreatment could influence one’s susceptibility to drugs and the structural remodeling of the brain [4]. Various types of drugs have been used in association with childhood trauma; however, no single drug was reported to have a greater association than the others. Substance abuse has been a rising issue over the years. With the understanding that childhood trauma could contribute to the onset of drug use, it is essential to gain a better knowledge of the specific types of substance abuse linked to childhood trauma. Future examination of this topic can help raise awareness and educate society on the effects of childhood trauma and how to prevent drug use associated with it.

Self-Blame Mediates the Link between Childhood Neglect Experiences and Internalizing Symptoms in Low-Risk Adolescents

Childhood neglect is the most common type of maltreatment, ranging from minor isolated incidents to consistent failures in emotional/physical caregiving. It has been associated with developmental impairments and considered a risk factor for the emergence of psychopathology, particularly internalizing disorders. This study aimed to explore individual differences in response to the continuum of severity of neglect in community adolescents, as well as the role of specific cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERSs) as mediators between childhood neglect and current internalizing symptoms. Low-risk adolescents (12–19 years old; M age 15.88 years; N = 123; 64 Females) completed questionnaires assessing these experiences. We employed a regression model and a simple mediation analyses. Findings indicate a positive association between childhood neglect, internalizing behaviors, and the adoption of self-blame as CERS. Moreover, the use of self-blame in response to everyday stress partially mediated the relationship between neglect and internalizing behaviors (effect size: .28). Findings support the hypothesis that even in a low risk sample, neglect is associated with internalizing symptoms, and highlight the importance of assessing individual differences in the experience of neglect. Moreover, the mediation effect of the CERSs of self-blame might serve as a potential target for psychotherapeutic interventions aimed at reducing internalizing symptoms.

Multidirectional Pathways between Attachment, Mentalizing, and Posttraumatic Stress Symptomatology in the Context of Childhood Trauma

Introduction:Exposure to traumatic stressful events in childhood is an important risk factor for the development of posttraumatic symptomatology. From a mentalization-based developmental perspective, childhood adversity can affect attachment in children and may result in insecure attachment and impaired mentalizing abilities, which increase the lifetime risk for psychopathology. The present cross-sectional study examined the potential mediating role of attachment insecurity and impaired mentalizing on the relationship between childhood trauma and posttraumatic symptomatology. Method: Adults who had experienced childhood neglect and abuse (n = 295, 184 patients with personality disorder and 111 community controls) completed self-report measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, dissociative experiences, adult attachment insecurity, and mentalizing. Results: Structural equation modelling results revealed that attachment insecurity together with lower mentalizing mediated the link between childhood trauma and PTSD symptoms, and lower mentalizing mediated the link between childhood trauma and dissociative experiences. Conclusion: The findings show that attachment insecurity and lower mentalizing play significant mediating roles in the reporting of posttraumatic symptomatology among survivors of childhood abuse and neglect, with treatment implications for mentalization-based therapy as beneficial for individuals with a history of childhood trauma.

Childhood Neglect History, Depressive Symptoms, and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration by College Students.

College students experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at an alarming rate, and preventing such violence depends on identifying factors that contribute to perpetration. Although there is extensive research that has established a link between childhood neglect and later physical IPV perpetration, less is known about the specific mechanisms through which childhood neglect leads to IPV perpetration. In the present study, we examined potential mediators of the relationship between childhood neglect and IPV perpetration by college students, with special emphasis on the role of depressive symptoms and IPV victimization. A total of 302 college students reported on their experiences of childhood maltreatment, depressive symptoms, and IPV victimization and perpetration. Results indicate that increasing levels of childhood emotional and physical neglect correspond with increasing rates of IPV perpetration, after accounting for the effect of childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. This effect between childhood neglect and IPV perpetration was fully mediated by the combination of IPV victimization and depressive symptoms for the overall sample. However, when examining the model for men and women separately, only the indirect effect through victimization remained statistically significant for men. Our findings suggest that research on the link between childhood neglect and IPV perpetration should also consider the impact of IPV victimization, as neglect may lead to IPV perpetration within the context of a mutually aggressive relationship. Furthermore, these findings indicate that childhood neglect leads to long-term emotional consequences that contribute to later IPV perpetration, and treating depressive symptoms may help prevent IPV perpetration against college students who experienced childhood neglect.

Investigating patterns of neural response associated with childhood abuse v. childhood neglect.

Childhood maltreatment is robustly associated with increased risk of poor mental health outcome and changes in brain function. The authors investigated whether childhood experience of abuse (e.g. physical, emotional and sexual abuse) and neglect (physical and emotional deprivation) was differentially associated with neural reactivity to threat. Participants were drawn from an existing study and allocated to one of four groups based on self-report of childhood maltreatment experience: individuals with childhood abuse experiences (n = 70); individuals with childhood neglect experiences (n = 87); individuals with combined experience of childhood abuse and neglect (n = 50); and non-maltreated individuals (n = 207) propensity score matched (PSM) on gender, age, IQ, psychopathology and SES. Neural reactivity to facial cues signalling threat was compared across groups, allowing the differential effects associated with particular forms of maltreatment experience to be isolated. Brain imaging analyses indicated that while childhood abuse was associated with heightened localised threat reactivity in ventral amygdala, experiences of neglect were associated with heightened reactivity in a distributed cortical fronto-parietal network supporting complex social and cognitive processing as well as in the dorsal amygdala. Unexpectedly, combined experiences of abuse and neglect were associated with hypo-activation in several higher-order cortical regions as well as the amygdala. Different forms of childhood maltreatment exert differential effects in neural threat reactivity: while the effects of abuse are more focal, the effects of neglect and combined experiences of abuse are more distributed. These findings are relevant for understanding the range of psychiatric outcomes following childhood maltreatment and have implications for intervention.

SA43 - ARE SOME MALTREATED INDIVIDUALS 'IMMUNE' TO LATER LIFE DEPRESSION? AN INVESTIGATION OF 41 INFLAMMATORY MARKERS IN OVER 600 U.K. ADULTS

Background Childhood maltreatment is widely reported across the world and the incidence of child cruelty and neglect offences is reportedly on the rise. Childhood maltreatment is strongly associated with a range of negative health outcomes in adulthood and represents the strongest environmental risk factor for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Immuno-inflammatory activation is one biological mechanism activated in response to maltreatment, and a possible mediator of this increased risk for MDD. Immune modulators, such as the inflammatory cytokines are reported to be increased in patients with MDD and play a role in brain development, neurogenesis and synaptic remodelling. We hypothesize that: (i) maltreatment subtypes will have effects on specific inflammatory markers in adulthood; and (ii) maltreatment will have differential effects on inflammatory markers in adulthood depending on whether or not an individual develops MDD. Methods 616 U.K. participants (276 MDD cases and 340 controls) were recruited as part the South East London Community Health Study (SELCoH) and the Antiglucocorticoid augmentation (metyrapone) of antiDepressants in Depression (ADD) Study. MDD status was defined using either DSM-IV, or the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (which generates ICD-10 diagnoses). Childhood maltreatment was determined using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and ordinal measures of maltreatment subtype severity were generated. The expression of 41 inflammatory markers were quantified using multiplex electrochemiluminescence methods applied to participant serum samples. General linear models were used to investigate the main effects of maltreatment severity on immune marker expression, and MDD case-control by maltreatment interactions whilst covarying for a broad range of potential confounders. Within each test we performed, we corrected for the number of inflammatory markers assessed using the False Discovery Rate (q Results 34 out of 41 inflammatory markers were expressed in over 70% of our sample, and these were carried forward into downstream analyses. Main effect analyses showed that a higher severity of emotional neglect in childhood was associated with higher Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D (VEGF-D) levels in adulthood (q Discussion VEGF-D is a cytokine responsible for vascularisation and angiogenesis. The effect we observed was irrespective of MDD case-control status, suggesting that if higher levels of VEGF-D levels do have a long-lasting impact on health, this may relate to disorders other than MDD, or it requires interaction with other factors to lead to MDD. Our MDD case-control by maltreatment interaction analyses revealed heightened levels of IL-12p70 in control subjects relative to depressed cases in association with emotional and physical neglect severity. IL-12p70 has been shown to have neuroprotective properties and we hypothesise that this marker may be involved in a mechanism which confers resilience to MDD in response to childhood neglect, or that it represents a biological proxy for a protective environmental factor (e.g. social support). Further work is now needed to understand if IL12p70 represents a novel drug target to treat MDD in those who have experienced childhood neglect.

Does striving to succeed come at a physiological or psychosocial cost for adults who experienced child maltreatment?

While striving to succeed in the face of adversity may provide individuals with outward benefits, it may come at a cost to individuals' physical health. The current study examines whether striving predicts greater physiological or psychosocial costs among those who experienced child maltreatment, a stressor that disrupts the caregiving environment and threatens relationship security. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we tested whether greater striving after childhood maltreatment would come at a cost, increasing underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and depressive symptoms despite showing outward success via income and college degree attainment. The study included 13,341 Black, Hispanic, and White adolescents who self-reported striving and their experiences of childhood neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. As young adults, participants reported depressive symptoms, income, and college degree attainment and completed a health assessment from which a 30-year Framingham-based CVD risk score was calculated. Higher striving was associated with lower CVD risk and depressive symptoms, and higher income and college degree attainment, regardless of maltreatment history. These findings highlight the potential for striving as a target for interventions and support the need to examine multiple biological and behavioral outcomes to understand the multifaceted nature of resilience.