Experiences Of Emotional Abuse Research Articles

Relations Between Attachment to Mother and Father, Childhood Maltreatment, and Body Shame in Inpatient Adolescents

ABSTRACT Body shame during adolescence can lead to numerous detrimental outcomes that may not only persist but also worsen in adulthood. Therefore, understanding predictors of body shame, including relational factors, is crucial. The aim of the study was to examine the relationships between attachment security to both mother and father, experiences of childhood maltreatment, and body shame in youth. Seventy-seven inpatient adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 completed the Body Shame subscale of the Experience of Shame Scale, the Security Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to respectively assess body shame, attachment security to parents, and experiences of abuse and neglect. Body shame was negatively associated with attachment security to father (but not to mother) and positively correlated with experiences of emotional abuse and emotional neglect. Among the studied factors, attachment security to father emerged as the strongest predictor of body shame in adolescents.

Unraveling the Nexus: Emotional Abuse, Emotional Competence, Self-concept, and Academic Achievement Among Adolescents.

This research delves into the intricate relationship between emotional abuse, emotional competence, self-concept, and academic achievement among adolescents in Kashmir, with a specific focus on gender differences. Adolescence, marked by vulnerability, witnesses the profound impact of emotional abuse on cognitive, emotional, and psychological development. A comprehensive survey involving 300 high school students reveals significant gender disparities in emotional abuse experiences, emotional competence levels, self-concept, and academic achievement. Boys are shown to be more susceptible to emotional abuse, particularly in dimensions such as rejection, terrorizing, isolation, ignoring, and corruption. Conversely, girls exhibit higher emotional competence, self-concept, and academic achievement, emphasizing the role of societal and familial dynamics. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions recognizing gender-specific nuances, aiming to mitigate emotional abuse's adverse effects and foster a conducive environment for adolescents' emotional and academic well-being. The findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted challenges faced by adolescents in the context of emotional well-being and academic success.

Maternal childhood emotional abuse increases cardiovascular responses to children's emotional facial expressions.

Parents with a history of childhood maltreatment may be more likely to respond inadequately to their child's emotional cues, such as crying or screaming, due to previous exposure to prolonged stress. While studies have investigated parents' physiological reactions to their children's vocal expressions of emotions, less attention has been given to their responses when perceiving children's facial expressions of emotions. The present study aimed to determine if viewing facial expressions of emotions in children induces cardiovascular changes in mothers (hypo- or hyper-arousal) and whether these differ as a function of childhood maltreatment. A total of 104 mothers took part in this study. Their experiences of childhood maltreatment were measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Participants' electrocardiogram signals were recorded during a task in which they viewed a landscape video (baseline) and images of children's faces expressing different intensities of emotion. Heart rate variability (HRV) was extracted from the recordings as an indicator of parasympathetic reactivity. Participants presented two profiles: one group of mothers had a decreased HRV when presented with images of children's facial expressions of emotions, while the other group's HRV increased. However, HRV change was not significantly different between the two groups. The interaction between HRV groups and the severity of maltreatment experienced was marginal. Results suggested that experiences of childhood emotional abuse were more common in mothers whose HRV increased during the task. Therefore, more severe childhood experiences of emotional abuse could be associated with mothers' cardiovascular hyperreactivity. Maladaptive cardiovascular responses could have a ripple effect, influencing how mothers react to their children's facial expressions of emotions. That reaction could affect the quality of their interaction with their child. Providing interventions that help parents regulate their physiological and behavioral responses to stress might be helpful, especially if they have experienced childhood maltreatment.

Correlates of Domestic Violence Victimization Among Immigrants During COVID-19 in the United States

ABSTRACT Domestic violence has been a cause of concern during the pandemic. Immigrants have been more vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19, given systemic and cultural barriers. Utilizing a bio-psycho-social framework, the goal of this exploratory cross-sectional study was to examine the correlates of DV victimization among immigrants (N = 419, 41.5% male and 56.8% female) across the United States. Gender, age and race were included as biological and demographic factors (model 1); mental health and psychological stress were included as psychological factors (model 2); and generational position, household income, and family connections were included as social factors (model 3). A hierarchical logistic regression was performed. The sample comprised male and female participants. About 31.3% of participants were White, while the remaining were from diverse racial groups and 43.5% were 1st generation. We observed that 35.1% (60) men and 28.3% (66) women experienced at least one form of DV victimization. Women and those who were older were less likely to experience victimization. An increase in mental health distress and limited family connections were associated with a higher likelihood of DV victimization. This study examined the rates of physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, financial and immigration-related abuse experiences of immigrants in the United States. Our findings point to the need for services to be offered to all genders and the need for more social support for immigrants. The inclusion of male and female survivors of DV adds to the novelty of this study. Practitioners in particular can play an important role in providing culturally responsive support to immigrants experiencing victimization.

“We Just couldn’t Talk About that”: Unmasking Male Student-Athletes’ Experiences of Emotional Abuse

Numerous empirical efforts have sought to understand the emotional abuse experiences of female athletes, but less is known about how emotional abuse is experienced by males in sport. To address this gap, the present study was designed to explore how four male former NCAA student-athletes ( Mage = 32 years) experienced emotionally abusive coaching behaviors and how those behaviors were influenced by masculine socialization pressures. A multiple case study design and inductive-deductive thematic approach were utilized to collect and analyze retrospective data. Results highlight socialization pressures related to orthodox masculinity influenced participant experiences and recollections of emotional abuse.

Exploring the complex interrelation between depressive symptoms, risk, and protective factors: A comprehensive network approach

BackgroundDepressive symptoms seem to be interrelated in a complex and self-reinforcing way. To gain a better understanding of this complexity, the inclusion of theoretically relevant constructs (such as risk and protective factors) offers a comprehensive view into the complex mechanisms underlying depression. MethodsCross-sectional data from individuals diagnosed with a major depressive disorder (N = 986) and healthy controls (N = 1049) were analyzed. Participants self-reported their depressive symptoms, as well as several risk factors and protective factors. Regularized partial correlation networks were estimated for each group and compared using a network comparison test. ResultsSymptoms of depression were more strongly connected in the network of depressed patients than in healthy controls. Among the risk factors, perceived stress, the experience of negative life events, emotional neglect, and emotional abuse were the most centrally embedded in both networks. However, the centrality of risk factors did not significantly differ between the two groups. Among the protective factors, social support, personal competence, and acceptance were the most central in both networks, where the latter was significantly more strongly associated with the symptom of self-hate in depressed patients. ConclusionThe network analysis revealed that key symptoms of depression were more strongly connected for depressed patients than for healthy controls, and that risk and protective factors play an important role, particularly perceived stress in both groups and an accepting attitude for depressed patients. However, the purpose of this study is hypothesis generating and assisting in the potential selection of non-symptom nodes for future research.

An exploratory study of University Students’ Lived Experiences and Memories of Childhood Abuse.

Child abuse is a serious and devastating global problem. In Tanzania this problem exists in a variety of forms and is deeply rooted in cultural, educational and social practices, often mixed with, and difficult to distinguish from normal measures of correcting and disciplining children. This study is undertaken to describe the patterns of child abuse (physical, emotional and sexual) as experienced by university students in Tanzania in their childhood. The study also aims at obtaining deeper understanding of the different types of perpetrators who interacted with, and inflicted abuse to children in the family and community at large. Data comes from a representative sample drawn from university students (n=470) in one university in Tanzania in March 2019. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. The results show multiple experiences of physical, emotional and sexual child abuse for both male and female students. The findings also indicate that family members, teachers, peers, and motor-cycle drivers were involved in the abuse of children consistent with similar studies which categorize such groups of people as perpetrators of child abuse (Moore et al, 2007; UNICEF Tanzania, 2011; Kisanga, 2012; McCrann, 2017) The study recommends that behaviors of child abuse be given due attention to ensure proper care, normal development and guarantee protection of children. The study also highlights the significance of engaging university students on intervention programs to counteract the negative effects of child abuse during adulthood.

The Role of Childhood Trauma in Affective Stress Recovery in Early Psychosis: An Experience Sampling Study.

Affective recovery, operationalized as the time needed for affect to return to baseline levels after daily stressors, may be a putative momentary representation of resilience. This study aimed to investigate affective recovery in positive and negative affect across subclinical and clinical stages of psychosis and whether this is associated with exposure to childhood trauma (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse). We used survival analysis to predict the time-to-recovery from a daily event-related stressor in a pooled sample of 3 previously conducted experience sampling studies including 113 individuals with first-episode psychosis, 162 at-risk individuals, and 94 controls. Negative affective recovery (ie, return to baseline following an increase in negative affect) was longer in individuals with first-episode psychosis compared with controls (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI; 1.03, 2.61], P = .04) and in at-risk individuals exposed to high vs low levels of emotional abuse (HR = 1.31, 95% CI [1.06, 1.62], P = .01). Positive affective recovery (ie, return to baseline following a decrease in positive affect) did not differ between groups and was not associated with childhood trauma. Our results give first indications that negative affective recovery may be a putative momentary representation of resilience across stages of psychosis and may be amplified in at-risk individuals with prior experiences of emotional abuse. Understanding how affective recovery contributes to the development of psychosis may help identify new targets for prevention and intervention to buffer risk or foster resilience in daily life.

Childhood emotional maltreatment and sensitivity to social rejection in emerging adults

BackgroundEnhanced responsiveness to social rejection may be a transdiagnostic mechanism through which childhood emotional maltreatment predisposes individuals to interpersonal and mental health problems. To investigate this mechanism, as a first step, more detailed investigations are needed regarding the assumed association of childhood emotional maltreatment with rejection sensitivity in later life. ObjectiveThe present work examines the hypothesis that among different subtypes of childhood maltreatment, in particular forms of emotional maltreatment (emotional abuse and neglect) relate to rejection sensitivity in emerging adults. Participants and settingIn study 1, 311 emerging adults (18–25 years) participated in a retrospective cross-sectional assessment. In study 2, 78 emerging adults (18–25 years) were included in an experiment (O-Cam paradigm) which involved the experience of social rejection (vs. inclusion). MethodsStudy 1 investigates whether intensities of childhood emotional abuse and neglect have unique associations with trait rejection sensitivity, when considering all maltreatment subtypes (emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect) simultaneously. Study 2 examined whether childhood emotional abuse and neglect moderate the experience of social rejection in terms of need depletion, sadness and anger after social rejection (vs. inclusion). ResultsStudy 1 indicates that emotional abuse and neglect have unique associations with rejection sensitivity. Study 2 results show that only a higher intensity of emotional abuse has extensive effects on need depletion and sadness after social rejection (vs. inclusion). ConclusionsIn particular, experiences of childhood emotional abuse may relate to rejection sensitivity in young adulthood.

Social competence of single‐parent children with child abuse in China: Mediation model of resilience

AbstractChildren from single‐parent families typically face severe developmental risks, especially those with prior experience in child abuse. This study aimed to investigate the child abuse experience and social competence of children from single‐parent families and discuss the possible mediation effect of resilience in Mainland China. This study analysed 431 single‐parent children samples collected in China (50% females, Mage = 13.10). Group comparison analyses were conducted to illustrate group differences in social competence between single‐parent children with and without child abuse experience. In addition, path analyses were conducted to examine the mediation effect of resilience between child abuse and social competence. This study findings indicated that single‐parent children with physical and emotional abuse experience did not perform significantly worse in social competence, but those with emotional neglect were found to do worse. Resilience fully mediated the effect of physical abuse and partially mediated the effect of emotional neglect on single‐parent children's social competence, while it did not mediate the impact of emotional abuse. This study contributes to understanding the mechanisms between child abuse, social competence and resilience of children from single‐parent families in Mainland China. The findings have implications for social services for single‐parent children who are abused.

NCAA coaches’ perceptions of the inclusion of transgender athletes: a qualitative analysis

ABSTRACT The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) established policies for the inclusion of transgender athletes to compete in collegiate sport that align with their gender identity. Despite this access, the extent to which collegiate sport environments are welcoming, inclusive and supportive of transgender athletes is unclear. Understanding coaches’ perceptions and attitudes is particularly salient given the critical, and often personal, nature of coach–athlete relationships and the impact coaches have on sport environments [Kuhlin, F., Barker-Ruchti, N., & Stewart, C. (2020). Long-term impact of the coach–athlete relationship on development, health and wellbeing: stories from a figure skater. Sports Coaching Review, 9(2), 208–230; Stirling, A. E., & Kerr, G. A. (2013). The perceived effects of elite athletes’ experiences of emotional abuse in the coach–athlete relationship. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 11(1), 87–100]. NCAA coaches’ perceptions of, and attitudes towards the inclusion of transgender athletes is unknown, and thus the degree to which coaches are creating safe, or harmful, environments for transgender athletes is unknown. The present study aims investigate coaches’ perceptions to be able to inform policy and education for promoting inclusive, safe environments for transgender athletes. We asked NCAA coaches (N = 1358) to describe the reasoning for their beliefs regarding the inclusion of transgender athletes in collegiate sports. Through reflexive thematic analysis, we determined coaches’ reasoning for their perceptions, within the context of five higher-order themes: (a) It’s not right: Transgender identities as invalid, (b) A need to protect (cis) women’s sports, (c) Transgender rights are human rights, (d) Sport’s role in society and coaches’ role in sport and (e) I am not sure what I believe. Analyses illuminate avenues for transgender athlete inclusion training for coaches.

Child maltreatment associates with violent victimization in young adulthood: a Brazilian birth cohort study

BackgroundMaltreatment in childhood may leave people vulnerable to further experiences of violence and more severe effects of stress later in life. Longitudinal studies of risk for violent victimisation after maltreatment are lacking in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this study was to quantify the risk for violent victimization in the family and community in young adulthood following experiences of childhood maltreatment (experiences of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect) up to age 15 years in an urban Brazilian population.Methods3246 participants in a prospective, population-based birth cohort study in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were assessed at birth, 15 and 22 years. Sociodemographic factors were reported by mothers at birth and adolescents at age 15 years. Maltreatment and violent victimisation were self-reported in confidential questionnaires at 15 and 22, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression analyses estimated the association between having experienced any maltreatment and later experiences of family and community violence in young adulthood (no adult violence, violence only in the family context, only in the community, or both violence in the family and community), adjusting for sociodemographic factors.Results39% of females and 27% of males reported any maltreatment up to age 15 years. At 22 years, rates of past year violence in the family or community were 17.6% for females and 20.2% for males. Maltreatment was strongly associated with community violence (Females: OR = 2.96, CI = 1.83–4.80; Males: OR = 2.01, 95%CI = 1.01-4.00) and its co-occurrence with family violence (Females: OR = 2.33, 95%CI = 1.34–4.04; Males: OR = 3.20, 95%CI = 1.82–5.65) in young adulthood, after adjustment for background sociodemographic factors.ConclusionChildhood maltreatment is an important risk factor for later violent victimisation in both the family and community context. The effects of repeated trauma through the life-course needs research and clinical attention.

Emerging adult college students' descriptions of exposure to childhood emotional abuse and associated factors: A qualitative exploration

BackgroundGrowing evidence on the long-term deleterious impacts of emotional abuse highlights the need to further understand childhood emotional abuse and its context to strengthen prevention efforts. ObjectiveTo describe emerging adults' experiences of emotional abuse in their childhoods and the household context surrounding that abuse. Participants and settingFifty-eight interviews were conducted with emerging adults, ages 18–25, recruited from four 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education. MethodsThematic analysis was conducted to identify and describe patterns in the data. A cyclical approach to codebook development and data analysis was followed by a team of four coders. ResultsThemes related to participants' experiences of emotional abuse included: inability to meet parent expectations; parent attacks on the child's character; parent negative comparisons to siblings and others; parent invalidation of the child's emotions and mental health needs; and evolution over time in the parent-child relationship. Aspects of childhood family environments contemporaneous with the childhood emotional abuse included: financial stress; parent mental illness; parent divorce, separation, or volatile relationship; parent adversity or trauma; physical abuse; and young parent age. Many participants identified these aspects of their family environment, most of which could potentially be improved with sufficient support, as playing causal roles in the emotional abuse they experienced. ConclusionThis descriptive qualitative study provides additional insight into child emotional abuse and its associated factors, providing invaluable insights that can enhance current measurement and intervention approaches.

Longitudinal impacts of adverse childhood experiences on multidimensional health outcomes: Predicting trajectories in mental, physical, and behavioral health

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) elevate the risk of poor health later in life. ObjectiveThis study aims to provide a more comprehensive investigation of the multidimensional health risks associated with ACEs, to address a gap in the understanding of their longitudinal impact on mental, physical, and behavioral health domains. Participants and settingThis study included 6, 504 participants (51.61 % females) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1994–2018). MethodsWe utilized latent class growth analysis to identify trajectories from adolescence to adulthood in three health domains: depression (Mental Health, MH), self-report physical health (SRH), and binge drinking frequency (BDF). Binary logistic regression was then used to assess the unique contributions of different types of ACEs to these longitudinal health trajectories. ResultsThree to four trajectories were identified for MH (consistently low, decreasing, increasing), SRH (consistently low, decreasing, increasing, consistently high), and BDF (consistently low, decreasing, moderate). Regression results showed that experience of emotional abuse and witnessed community violence elevated the risk associated with unfavorable trajectories in the mental health and behavioral health domains, respectively. ConclusionsIndividual ACEs differentially predicted mental, physical, and behavioral health trajectories, potentially through various pathways. Prevention of ACEs could mitigate health risks for adolescents and young adults across these domains.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Seminarians: Personal Experiences of Trauma and Implications for Pastoral Well-Being and Ministerial Training

Recent research has shown Mainline Protestant clergy evidence poor mental health. In accounting for this, research has focused on occupational factors that impact health, with less attention paid to the role of selection into ministry as it relates to health. We investigate one possible selection characteristic, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), among a sample of 535 seminarians attending a Mainline seminary. Compared with a demographically matched national sample, these seminarians reported higher prevalence of the childhood experiences of emotional abuse, of living with someone with mental illness, and of sexual abuse. These seminarians also reported lower prevalence of parental separation/divorce and of familial incarceration. Furthermore, we found demographic variations in the prevalence of certain ACEs among the sample of seminarians. In addition to informing the scholarly discussion regarding mechanisms associated with clergy well-being, this work highlights the need for seminaries to attend to the ministerial formation of students with these experiences.

Mothers' experiences of emotional abuse from an intimate partner and its associations with children's developmental outcomes at 5 years

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with an increased risk of poorer child development. Existing research has focused on physical abuse with less known about the associations with emotional IPV. ObjectiveTo describe the period prevalence of mother's experiences of emotional IPV during children's preschool years and associations with child mental, physical, social, and cognitive development. MethodsSecondary analysis of control group data (n = 194) from an Australian randomised trial (right@home), which recruited pregnant women experiencing social adversity from antenatal clinics in 2013–14. Women reported emotional abuse (Composite Abuse Scale) at child ages 3–5 years. Measures of child development at 5 years included: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Social Skills Improvement System, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, School Entry Alphabetic and Phonological Awareness Readiness Test, NIH executive function subtests, sleep and health. The prevalence of emotional IPV from 3 to 5 years was estimated. Regression models compared developmental outcomes according to emotional IPV exposure, adjusted for child age, child gender, and maternal education. Missing data were accounted for using multiple imputation. ResultsFrom 3-5 years, emotional IPV was experienced by 57% of women. Emotional IPV exposure was consistently associated with poorer child developmental outcomes. Differences were most apparent for SDQ internalising (mean difference 1.2, 95% CI 0.2 to 2.1) and externalising difficulties (1.2, 95% CI −0.1 to 2.4). ConclusionsEmotional IPV was highly prevalent amongst families experiencing social adversity. Developing acceptable and effective identification processes and interventions that prioritise families experiencing co-occurring social adversities should be a public health priority.

Maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and DNA methylation of newborns in cord blood

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase the risk of poor health outcomes later in life. Psychosocial stressors may also have intergenerational health effects by which parental ACEs are associated with mental and physical health of children. Epigenetic programming may be one mechanism linking parental ACEs to child health. This study aimed to investigate epigenome-wide associations of maternal preconception ACEs with DNA methylation patterns of children. In the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas study, cord blood DNA methylation was measured using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Preconception ACEs, which occurred during the mothers’ childhoods, were collected using a standard ACE questionnaire including 10 ACE indicators. Maternal ACE exposures were defined in this study as (1) the total number of ACEs; (2) the total number of ACEs categorized as 0, 1–3, and > 4; and (3) individual ACEs. Associations of ACE exposures with differential methylated positions, regions, and CpG modules determined using weighted gene co-expression network analysis were evaluated adjusting for covariates.ResultsData on maternal ACEs and cord blood DNA methylation were available for 196 mother/newborn pairs. One differential methylated position was associated with maternal experience of emotional abuse (cg05486260/FAM135B gene; q value < 0.05). Five differential methylated regions were significantly associated with the total number of ACEs, and 36 unique differential methylated regions were associated with individual ACEs (Šidák p value < 0.05). Fifteen CpG modules were significantly correlated with the total number of ACEs or individual ACEs, of which 8 remained significant in fully adjusted models (p value < 0.05). Significant modules were enriched for pathways related to neurological and immune development and function.ConclusionsMaternal ACEs prior to conception were associated with cord blood DNA methylation of offspring at birth. Although there was limited overlap between differential methylated regions and CpGs in modules associated with ACE exposures, statistically significant regions and networks were related to genes involved in neurological and immune function. Findings may provide insights to pathways linking psychosocial stressors to health. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between changes in DNA methylation and child health.

Understanding the experience of emotional abuse: the importance of naming and identifying non-physical violence from the target’s perspective

Emotional abuse and psychological violence refer to patterned maltreatment used to break down the personal integrity and sense of self-worth of the target. In this article, I address the experiences of emotional abuse and psychological violence of women in long-term heterosexual relationships based on my feminist activist research in collaboration with Women’s Line, an anti-violence, women’s rights non-governmental organisation in Finland. The research included co-moderating two online support groups for women and conducting follow-up interviews. In the analysis, I show that non-physical forms of violence are deeply felt and transform a target’s sense of self and their relationships with the world. However, targets may have difficulty recognising that they are subjected to abuse and doubt their own experiences, despite the severe effects of abuse and the risks posed to their safety. Thus, I argue for the need to name and identify non-physical abuse as severe violence in order to raise awareness and to validate the target’s experiences.

Profile of childhood trauma subtypes associated with self-injurious thoughts and behaviors.

Childhood trauma has been identified as a risk factor for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (STBs), but the roles of different types of childhood trauma have not been clarified. The current study aimed to explore the association between different childhood trauma experiences and STB profiles. The current study utilized data from a cross-sectional survey of 89,281 Chinese university and college students (Mage = 19.6). Participants were classified into one of six STBs groups, including individuals who are not suicidal or having nonsuicidal self-injury (NS) behavior, individuals with suicidal ideation (SI), individuals with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior, individuals with suicide attempt (SA), individuals with both NSSI and SI (NSSI + SI) and individuals with both NSSI and SA (NSSI + SA). Several multinomial logistic regressions were performed. The individuals reporting more emotional abuse experiences are significantly more likely to report higher-risk STB profiles (OR =1.06-1.64). Emotional neglect is also a significant factor predicting higher STB risk compared to NS and SI groups (OR = 1.02-1.08). Mixed findings were found for physical neglect and sexual abuse, as they show different directions of risk-predicting effects in different STB groups. Physical abuse did not significantly predict STBs. Our results indicate that exposure to childhood emotional abuse increase the risk for all types of STBs, which calls for special attention in future suicide prevention and intervention programs. Our findings further imply possible roles for different subtypes of traumatic experiences to trigger different SBTs, which warrant future exploration. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Associations Between Childhood Trauma and Tobacco Use Outcomes in Adults after Overnight Abstinence.

Childhood trauma is known to be associated with nicotine dependence, yet limited smoking outcomes have been examined and few studies have assessed associations between specific trauma subscales and smoking. Additionally, sex differences in trauma-smoking relations are understudied. This study examined associations between childhood trauma and several smoking-related outcomes in adults who smoke after overnight abstinence. People who smoke (N = 205) completed self-report and biochemical assessments evaluating childhood trauma, affect, nicotine dependence, smoking urges, withdrawal, and plasma cortisol and cotinine levels. Smoking outcomes were compared between those with and without a history of moderate to severe childhood trauma among the total sample and by sex. Relative to those with no to minimal abuse, those with moderate to severe abuse had higher negative affect, withdrawal severity, and plasma cotinine levels. Exploratory analyses revealed that women were more likely than men to have urges to smoke for negative reinforcement and have higher withdrawal severity, but no interactions between abuse group and sex were observed. Examining specific trauma subscales, the moderate to severe emotional abuse group had more severe nicotine dependence, negative affect, and withdrawal compared to the no to minimal group. The moderate to severe sexual abuse group had more severe nicotine dependence and withdrawal compared to the no to minimal group. Exposure to childhood trauma is associated with more severe nicotine dependence, negative affect, withdrawal, and higher plasma cotinine levels. Findings also indicate that different types of trauma may differentially affect smoking behaviors. This study of adults who smoke finds that childhood trauma history may be a marker for smoking susceptibility and suggests that individuals with experiences of emotional and sexual abuse may require targeted forms of smoking cessation interventions. Moreover, findings suggest that smoking risks may differ for men and women. Findings inform public health interventions intended to reduce cigarette use in individuals with exposure to childhood trauma.