History Of Childhood Abuse Research Articles

Family support among young adults: The role of childhood maltreatment

BackgroundSuccess in young adulthood marked by independence and exploration is not universal. Parentification, when young people acquire adult roles before they are developmentally ready, and family support patterns suggest potential differences based on childhood maltreatment history hence widening inequalities. ObjectiveThis study aimed to describe family-of-origin support patterns among young adults with various levels of exposure to child maltreatment and child protective services (CPS). Participants & settingThe study leveraged Year 22 data of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing dataset; a national, longitudinal, birth-cohort study of U.S. children born in 1998–2000. MethodsWe used bivariate statistics and logistic regressions to examine maltreatment exposure, socioeconomic conditions, and family-of-origin relationships. ResultsThose with out-of-home care and CPS contact without out-of-home care had lower odds of contact and feeling “extra” close to their caregiver compared to those without reported maltreatment, and those with out-of-home care had lower odds of receiving financial support from family for bills (OR = 0.62, 95 % CI [0.42, 0.92]). Those with out-of-home care had higher odds of providing dependent care to family members (OR = 1.67, 95 % CI [1.02, 2.72]); and those with CPS contact only had higher odds of supporting family members financially (OR = 1.79, 95 % CI [1.29, 2.47]). ConclusionFindings suggest the importance of public support programs to assist those with maltreatment histories susceptible to the absence of parental support and additional demands of support provision. Understanding young adult-parent relationships within the context of childhood maltreatment is critical to promote well-being.

Pathways to Homelessness: Childhood Maltreatment and Psychiatric Symptoms Increase Risk of Homelessness.

Homelessness is a serious and increasing public health concern. Childhood maltreatment and psychiatric problems have been associated with homelessness as risk factors; however, reliance on cross-sectional studies introduces ambiguity into interpreting previous findings. This study seeks to understand whether psychiatric symptoms in part explain the relationship between childhood maltreatment and homelessness. The authors used data from a prospective cohort design study in which individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment (ages 0-11 years) and a demographically matched group of children without those histories (N=1,196) were followed up into middle adulthood and interviewed. Psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], antisocial personality disorder [ASPD], and alcohol and drug use) were assessed at mean age 29. Homelessness was assessed at mean ages 29, 39, 41, and 47 years. Structural equation modeling was used to test mediation. Twice as many individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment reported ever being homeless (25.6% vs. 12.3%, AOR=2.54, 95% CI= 1.86-3.50) and past year homelessness (5.5% vs. 2.5%, AOR=2.09, 95% CI=1.31-3.43) at age 29, compared to controls. Controlling for past homelessness, psychiatric symptoms predicted future homelessness at mean ages 41 and 47. Three significant paths from childhood maltreatment to future homelessness were identified through depression, PTSD, and ASPD. This longitudinal study with documented cases of childhood maltreatment found that psychiatric symptoms earlier in life predict homelessness. Depression, PTSD, and ASPD represent pathways through which childhood maltreatment increases homelessness risk and warrant greater attention.

Spotting the scurvy’s sight: Spontaneous intraorbital hematomas causing bilateral acute proptosis

Spontaneous intraorbital hematomas in a child with no history of malignancy, coagulopathy, or child abuse can have nutritional deficiency leading to increased risk of bleeding. Children with neurological impairment are more prone to develop scurvy. Scurvy in a child presents with both musculoskeletal findings and bleeding diathesis and, therefore, a radiologist should be well-versed with the classical osseous changes on radiographs and with unusual, yet important radiological clues of intraorbital and intracranial hematomas on computed tomography.

Exploring the impact of childhood maltreatment on epigenetic and brain-derived neurotrophic factor changes in bipolar disorder and healthy control.

Childhood maltreatment may be linked to epigenetics and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) changes, which are mechanisms altered in several psychiatric conditions, including bipolar disorder (BD). However, the specific mechanisms connecting childhood maltreatment to the pathophysiology of BD remain unclear. The present study aims to examine the effects of childhood maltreatment on epigenetic and neurotrophic outcomes in BD patients and health controls. History of childhood maltreatment was obtained using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) from 36 BD outpatients and 46 healthy subjects. DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity, HMTH3K9 activity, histone 3 lysine 9 tri-methylation (H3K9me3) levels, histone deacetylase (HDAC)1 levels, HDAC2 levels, histone 3 lysine 14 acetylation (H3K14ac) levels, and mRNA of BDNF were evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Plasma BDNF levels were also measured. Total scores of CTQ, as well as the subscale scores of emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional neglect, were predictive of changes in DNMT and HMTh3k9 activity, H3K9m3 levels, BDNF mRNA expression, and BDNF levels. These findings were observed in all our samples and, in some cases, among BD patients. Emotional abuse was the main childhood maltreatment subtype associated with epigenetic alterations in BD. Our results elucidate some mechanisms by which childhood maltreatment can alter epigenetic and neurotrophic markers. Especially in BD subjects, our results suggest childhood maltreatment per se is not a direct cause for epigenetic alterations. In another way, we suppose that the effect of childhood maltreatment could be cumulative and interact with other factors associated with the pathophysiology of BD.

Endocrine, electrodermal, and cardiac responses to Trier Social Stress Test in healthy adults with a history of child maltreatment.

Endocrine, electrodermal, and cardiac responses to Trier Social Stress Test in healthy adults with a history of child maltreatment.

Dimensions of Child Maltreatment in Australians With a History of Out-of-Home Care.

Research suggests that the dimensions of childhood maltreatment (type, age of onset, duration, frequency and perpetrator) play an important role in determining health and wellbeing outcomes, though little information is available on these dimensions for any care experienced cohorts. This study aimed to determine if any variation in maltreatment dimensions were experienced between two subsets of the nationally representative Australian Child Maltreatment Study, both of which reported childhood maltreatment histories: care-experienced (n = 358) and non-care-experienced (n = 4922). Using a series of independent t-tests and chi-square tests, we compared the two groups on seven dimensions (number of maltreatment types, range of maltreatment items, age of onset, duration, frequency, perpetrator number, and perpetrator type) for the five child maltreatment types (physical, emotional, sexual abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence). Results showed that the care-experienced group reported a higher intensity of maltreatment, being younger when maltreatment first started, experiencing greater variety of maltreatment types, for longer periods, more times and by more perpetrators than maltreated people with no care experience. We conclude that children and young people in out-of-home care experience maltreatment at a higher intensity than the rest of the population, which has implications for effective treatment.

The immediate and lasting effects of imagery rescripting and their associations with imagery tendency in young adults with childhood maltreatment history: An ERP study.

The effectiveness of imagery rescripting (IR) in reducing psychological symptoms associated with aversive memories has been confirmed across various disorders. To better understand the neural mechanisms underlying IR, we assessed the immediate and lasting effects and their associations with imagery tendency by using unpleasant pictures depicting child maltreatment within a population with childhood maltreatment (CM) history. Participants (n = 68) were instructed to engage in two experimental phases while electroencephalogram was recorded. In the rescripting phase, participants viewed neutral or unpleasant pictures and then either imagined the same pictures or rescripted unpleasant ones to assess immediate effect. In the re-exposure phase, participants passively viewed all pictures without instruction to assess lasting effect. Participants rated their subjective valence and imagery vividness in the rescripting phase or intensity of negative feelings in the re-exposure phase. IR led to an attenuation of the late positive potential (LPP) amplitude in the late time window (2000-6000 ms at parietal-occipital electrodes) and a decrease in self-reported unpleasantness during the rescripting phase. After 5-min interval, unpleasant pictures with rescripted history elicited smaller LPP (400-1500 ms at centro-parietal electrodes) and negative feelings than those with imagery history in the re-exposure phase. The higher habitual use of imagery was associated with a greater reduction in late LPP during the rescripting phase and full-time range LPP during the re-exposure phase. The current findings suggest that IR has an immediate effect and a lasting effect on subjective and neural response in the CM population. Individuals with higher imagery tendency are likely to profit more from IR.

The role of shame and trauma type on posttraumatic stress disorder and depression severity in a treatment-seeking veteran population.

Research on how different types of trauma affect depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in veterans has yielded inconsistent results. Shame, a painful and negative self-evaluative emotion observed in PTSD and across interpersonal traumas, may help explain past findings. The present study explored (a) how trauma types (childhood abuse, combat exposure, and military sexual trauma [MST]) may be associated with depression and PTSD severity and (b) how shame may be associated with trauma type, PTSD symptoms, and depression symptoms in a treatment-seeking veteran sample. Veterans (N = 372) completed self-report questionnaires assessing trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, depression symptoms, and shame upon admission to treatment programs across two Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. We found that veterans with combat exposure or MST had greater depression and PTSD symptoms than those without these trauma experiences. Among veterans without a history of combat exposure and MST, a history of childhood abuse was associated with depression symptoms. Among veterans who did not experience combat but did experience MST, a history of childhood abuse was not associated with depression symptoms. We found that characterological shame (i.e., shame about oneself) partially mediated MST status and PTSD symptoms and fully mediated MST status and depression symptoms. These results suggest that different trauma exposures can have complex effects on clinical presentations and that shame may be a mechanism of PTSD and depression severity in veterans with MST. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Characteristics and Circumstances of Suicide Among Children Aged 6 to 9 Years: 2006-2021.

Limited research exists on suicide among children aged 5 to 9 years. The objective of this study was to examine characteristics of suicide in children younger than 10 years. Data are from the National Fatality Review-Case Reporting System (NFR-CRS) for years 2006 through 2021 for children aged 6 to 9 years who died by suicide. No suicide deaths were reported in NFR-CRS for children aged ≤ 5 years. Descriptive analyses by demographics and circumstances were conducted. A thematic analysis of prevention recommendations made by child death review teams was performed. From 2006 to 2021, NFR-CRS identified 78 suicide decedents aged 6 to 9 years. The largest share were aged 9 years (72%), male (74%), non-Hispanic Black (42%), and died by hanging (86%) at home (91%). School-related problems (39%), history of child maltreatment (36%), history of mental health services (30%), argument with parents (23%), and familial discord (19%) were common circumstances. Key suicide prevention themes included education for caregivers and school staff, improved behavioral health services, and implementation of school policies and programs. Results provide a more complete picture of suicide among younger children, improving understanding of their unique characteristics. It is recommended that program planners consider both age-appropriateness and the impacts of social (eg, racism) and structural inequities in their approaches to prevention, encompassing both community and school-based strategies. For pediatricians, results emphasize the importance of lethal means counseling, safety planning, and educating parents and caregivers on the distinct warning signs of suicide for younger children.

Psychiatric Comorbidities in Functional Neurological Disorders and Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures: A Systematic Review and Policy Recommendations for Improving Assessment and Treatment.

Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) and Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) are progressively attracting the attention of healthcare professionals both in the medical or surgical specialties and in psychiatric ones. Due to FND and PNES complex presentation, often comorbid with other neurological, medical, and psychiatric conditions, starting from our experience with patients presenting with both conditions, we conducted a systematic review of articles that address the comorbidity of PNES and FND with other psychiatric conditions. Our review supports the point that PNES and FND are not autonomous conditions but develop on the grounds of other psychiatric comorbidities including autism, borderline personality disorder (BPD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alexithymia. Persons with PNES and FND have often a history of child abuse, neglect, and trauma, and these conditions can also trigger the two conditions if appearing later in life. We also propose policies to endorse the comorbidity theory and improve assessment and treatment. The scrutinized studies confirm that PNES and FND might be comorbid or represent manifestations of what we hypothesize as an integrated biopsychosocial model where early trauma, abuse, and neglect lead to a progressive neuro sensitivity that can present in the same person, usually young female patients, as a combination of dysthymia, alexithymia, autism, PTSD, BPD, FND, and PNES.

Childhood Maltreatment and Electrodermal Reactivity to Stress Among Pregnant Women.

There are competing theoretical hypotheses regarding the consequences of early adversity, such as childhood maltreatment, for individuals' autonomic nervous system activity. Research examining potential implications of child maltreatment for sympathetic nervous system activity, specifically, is scarce. In this preregistered study, we examined whether childhood maltreatment history is associated with pregnant adults' sympathetic responses to different stressors. This population is particularly relevant, given potential intergenerational consequences of pregnant individuals' physiological responses to stress. Pregnant women's (N=162) electrodermal levels were recorded while completing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), which elicits social-evaluative threat, and while watching a video of an unfamiliar infant crying, which was intended to activate the attachment system. Pregnant women's retrospective reports of childhood maltreatment were negatively associated with their electrodermal reactivity to the TSST and to the video of the infant crying. Follow-up analyses indicated that these associations were specific to reported experiences of childhood abuse and not childhood neglect. Altogether, these findings indicate that self-reported childhood maltreatment experiences, and childhood abuse in particular, may result in blunted activity of the sympathetic nervous system in response to multiple types of stressors.

Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is uniquely linked to suicidality beyond posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults with childhood maltreatment: A multinational study across four countries

BackgroundSuicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, with childhood maltreatment identified as a significant risk factor for suicidal behavior in adulthood. The link between childhood maltreatment and suicidality is well-documented; however, the role of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), which includes an additional symptom cluster of disturbances in self-organization (DSO) compared to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the association between meeting the criteria for ICD-11 PTSD or CPTSD and suicidality in adults with a history of childhood maltreatment across culturally diverse samples. MethodsData were collected across four sites: the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and Malaysia. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), and International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) were used to assess childhood maltreatment, suicidality, and PTSD or CPTSD, respectively. Linear regressions were conducted to examine the associations, controlling for demographic variables (age, sex, ethnicity, educational level, and subjective socioeconomic status) as well as the severity of maltreatment (CTQ total scores). ResultsAmong the 1324 participants who experienced childhood maltreatment, meeting the criteria for CPTSD was significantly associated with higher suicidality compared to not meeting the criteria for either PTSD or CPTSD (B(SE) = 1.68 (0.30), p < .001), or only meeting the criteria for PTSD (B(SE) = 1.38 (0.43), p < .001). In contrast, meeting the criteria for PTSD alone was not significantly associated with suicidality (B(SE) = 0.35 (0.46), p = .45). These associations remained consistent across different cultural settings. ConclusionThe study findings highlight the unique association of CPTSD with suicidality in adults with a history of childhood maltreatment, suggesting that the DSO symptom cluster of CPTSD, which distinguish it from PTSD, play a critical role in the development of suicidality in this population. Targeting these symptoms may be essential for effective intervention strategies. Screening for childhood maltreatment and CPTSD in individuals at risk of suicide is crucial for guiding treatment planning.

EMDR–Teens–cPTSD: Efficacy of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing in Adolescents with Complex PTSD Secondary to Childhood Abuse: A Case Series

Background: Mental healthcare for children and adolescents with a history of childhood abuse constitutes a major public health issue. Indeed, abuse exposes children to severe and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) but also to neurodevelopmental and psychological repercussions impacting the developmental trajectory. Trauma-focused care is essential to avoid the chronicization of symptoms and disorders. Objective: The aim of this prospective case series study was to investigate the efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) on complex post-traumatic symptoms and associated psychiatric disorders in adolescents with a history of abuse. Method: Twenty-two adolescents, aged 12 to 17, who had been abused during childhood were included. All adolescents met ICD-11 criteria for complex PTSD. Subjective measures of PTSD and associated psychiatric disorders were taken before (T0) and after 3 months of EMDR therapy (T1). Results: The average PTSD symptom score on the CPTS-RI significantly decreased from 40.2 to 34.4 after EMDR, indicating improvement in post-traumatic symptoms. A significant decrease in the average depression score (CDI from 18.2 at T0 to 10.6 at T1), anxiety score (R–CMAS from 21.3 at T0 to 13.3 at T1), emotional regulation score (ALS from 29 at T0 to 10.8 at T1), insomnia score (ISI from 18.5 at T0 to T1 of 9.2 at T1), and harmful use of alcohol and drugs score (ADOSPA from 2.3 at T0 to 0.3 at T1) was observed after EMDR therapy, as well as an increase in quality of life (CBCL 4–16 score from 57.9 at T0 to 77.4 at T1). Conclusions: The results of this study are encouraging and suggest that EMDR may be effective in the symptom management reducing post-traumatic symptoms and certain comorbid disorders frequently seen in adolescents who have experienced childhood abuse. Further research is needed on adolescent populations suffering from cPTSD (e.g., randomized controlled trials with control groups and other therapies or evaluating the action of the different phases of the study).

Childhood Traumas and Depressive Symptoms: The Moderating Role of Anxiety Sensitivity.

Depression is one of the most common public health problems. Considering the frequency of childhood trauma in people with depressive symptoms, determining mediating factors is important in understanding the relationship between them. Our study aimed to evaluate the mediating effect of anxiety sensitivity, one of the cognitive structures that plays a role in the etiology and maintenance of psychopathologies, on depression symptoms of childhood traumas. The study included 110 participants aged between 18 and 65, diagnosed with depression, and applied to the psychiatry outpatient clinic. Of the participants, 35 were male and 75 were female. The majority of participants were in the 18-25 age group (39.1%), followed by a smaller percentage in the 25-35 age group (32.7%). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-I), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI-3) were administered to participants between 15 February and 15 April 2024. When the sample was examined according to the history of depressive symptoms, it was found that the score of the cognitive subscale of ASI-3 and the scores of the physical neglect, emotional neglect, and emotional abuse subscales of the CTQ were significantly higher in the group with depressive symptoms. When the mediating effect of the scores of "Emotional neglect", "Physical neglect", and "Emotional abuse" subscales of CTQ, and the score of "Cognitive" subscale of ASI-3 score was examined with regression models, it was found that the history of emotional neglect and abuse in childhood predicted depressive symptoms through the cognitive sub-group of AS. In our study, it was shown that childhood trauma, which could cause a person to evaluate stressful life events as more depressogenic and the formation of negative cognitions about themselves and the world, predicted the severity and occurrence of depressive symptoms through fear of cognitive dysfunction.

Parental History of Childhood Maltreatment and Offspring Attachment Insecurity and Disorganization: Two Meta-Analyses.

Research findings have shown that parental history of childhood maltreatment (CM) increases the risk of insecure and disorganized attachment in offspring. However, the extent of the detrimental effects of childhood trauma on attachment in the next generation is unclear. The current meta-analyses aimed at synthesizing the available literature on the link between parental history of CM and offspring attachment insecurity and disorganization (with no restriction of offspring age). In total, 25 studies (23 unique samples; N = 2,592) comprising u = 61 effect sizes were included. Offspring age ranged from 12 to 79 months (Mweighted = 18.69; SDweighted = 11.53). Findings from two three-level random effects meta-analyses revealed a weak but significant combined effect of parental history of CM on child attachment insecurity (k = 20, u = 35, r = .06) and a non-significant effect on child attachment disorganization (k = 12, u = 26, r = .03). For the meta-analysis on disorganization, effect sizes were weaker in more recent studies, and trim and fill analyses provided evidence of publication bias. These findings provide a nuanced view of the intergenerational transmission of childhood trauma phenomenon, whereby parents' self-reported history of CM does not appear decisive for child attachment. Conclusions could not be drawn for specific types of CM because of the small number of studies. Research with more objective measures of parental exposure to CM is needed to gain a more comprehensive view of the possible intergenerational effects of CM on child attachment.

Resolving trauma: The unique contribution of trauma-specific mentalization to maternal insightfulness.

Resolving trauma may contribute to mental health and parenting in mother with histories of childhood maltreatment. The concept of trauma-specific reflective functioning (T-RF) was developed to assess the complexity of thought processes regarding trauma. The study aimed to validate the T-RF scale applied to the Trauma Meaning-Making Interview by examining its psychometric properties, associations with measures of trauma-processing strategies, maternal reflective functioning and mental health (depression and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), as well as evaluating whether T-RF offered a unique contribution to maternal insightfulness. Good construct validity of the T-RF scale was confirmed in a sample of 112 mothers with histories of childhood maltreatment using an independent coding system of trauma-processing. Better mentalization of trauma was prospectively associated with higher parental reflective functioning and mothers with high T-RF were much more likely to be insightful regarding the child's mental states than non-reflective mothers and mothers with limited T-RF. The association between T-RF and insightfulness was observed even when controlling for maternal reflective functioning, trauma-processing strategies, maternal education and sociodemographic risk. T-RF was associated neither with depression, PTSD nor the characteristics of trauma. Findings suggest that mentalizing trauma would be an important protective factor in the intergenerational trajectories of trauma.

Childhood maltreatment, social connectedness, and depression: A prospective analysis of trajectories over time.

Childhood maltreatment is associated with a range of negative social and psychological outcomes at different developmental stages. Using data from a prospective longitudinal study of the consequences of childhood maltreatment, we examine whether childhood maltreatment predicts lower levels of social connectedness and more depression symptoms over a 30-year time period and examine the directionality of the trajectories from childhood into middle adulthood. Children (ages 0-11 years) with documented histories of maltreatment and demographically matched controls were followed into adulthood across four waves: 1989-1995 (n = 1,196; Mage = 29.2 years, SD = 3.9), 2000-2002 (n = 896; Mage = 39.5 years, SD = 3.6), 2003-2005 (n = 808; Mage = 41.2 years, SD = 3.6), and 2009-2010 (n = 649; Mage = 47.0 years, SD = 3.5). Social connectedness and depressive symptoms were measured at all four time points. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to estimate bidirectional relationships between social connectedness and depression symptoms and the extent to which the trajectories differed for the maltreated and control groups. Individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment generally had significantly lower levels of social connectedness and higher levels of depression compared to matched controls. Depression was associated with lower levels of social connectedness concurrently at ages 39, 41, and 47. Depression predicted lower social connectedness, and social connectedness predicted lower depression in middle adulthood, but not young adulthood. Better understanding of the long-term impact of childhood maltreatment on social connectedness and depression has implications for designing effective interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Responding to suicidal behaviour in children and young people with a child maltreatment history: A scoping review

Child maltreatment affects millions of children internationally every year. Development is negatively impacted by maltreatment increasing the likelihood of maladaptive behaviours. Associations between child maltreatment and suicidal behaviour and suicide in young people has been established. However, there is a research gap in understanding effective ways to respond to and intervene with suicidal behaviour in young people who have experienced child maltreatment. A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology to investigate interventions that may be effective in preventing and reducing suicidal behaviours in young people who have experienced child maltreatment. Inclusion criteria were studies: (a) of children and young people who engage in suicidal behaviour and have experienced child maltreatment; (b) published in English during the time period 2000–2020; and (c) focused on responses and interventions to prevent or address suicidal behaviour. Across 37 studies, several intervention targets were identified through reflexive thematic analysis including cultivation of self-compassion, gratitude and future orientation, alleviation of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and psychological distress and addressing cognitive errors and negative views of the self. Screening and clear assessment of suicidal risk by health professionals and child welfare professionals was endorsed across studies. Several evidence-based treatments were proposed to support intervening with this client group, although only Emotional Intelligence Therapy (EIT) was empirically tested with this population. Utilisation of safe systems that the child or young person is in may be beneficial in addressing and reducing suicidal behaviour, such as inclusion of families, peers and the implementation of school-based interventions strategies. Future research is needed to empirically test and assess the effectiveness of interventions.

Understanding the relationship between childhood abuse and affective symptoms in bipolar disorder: New insights from a network analysis

The impact of childhood abuse on the presentation of bipolar disorder could be further elucidated by comparing the networks of affective symptoms among individuals with and with no history of childhood abuse. Data from 476 participants in the Clinical Health Outcomes Initiative in Comparative Effectiveness for Bipolar Disorder study were used to fit several regularised Gaussian Graphical Models. Differences in the presentation of depressive and manic symptoms were uncovered: only among participants with a history of childhood abuse, inadequacy and pessimism were central symptoms in the network of depressive symptoms, while racing thoughts was an important symptom in the network of manic symptoms. Following network theory, focusing treatments at the symptom-level and on central symptoms – like inadequacy, pessimism, and racing thoughts – could be an effective approach for managing affective symptoms among the sizeable proportion of people with bipolar disorder who have experienced childhood abuse. This study contributes a thorough investigation of the networks of affective symptoms among participants with and with no history of childhood abuse, albeit limited by the use of a binary, self-report measure of childhood abuse, thereby emphasising the importance of assessing for childhood abuse and taking needed steps towards identifying novel targets for treating bipolar disorder.

Childhood Maltreatment, Revictimization, and Partner Violence Victimization Through Midlife: A Prospective Longitudinal Investigation.

Existing research suggests that prior victimizations during a person's lifetime, particularly childhood traumas and maltreatment, are risk factors for abuse and revictimization in adulthood, although longitudinal evidence is sparse. Using data from a 30-year ongoing longitudinal study of the long-term consequences of childhood maltreatment, this paper describes the extent to which childhood maltreatment predicts subsequent victimization and partner violence victimization at two time points in adulthood. Data were obtained from a prospective cohort design study in which children with court-substantiated cases of maltreatment (ages 0-11 years) and demographically matched controls were followed into adulthood and interviewed over several waves. Childhood maltreatment was assessed through juvenile and adult court records from 1967 to 1971 in a midwestern county area in the United States. Victimization experiences were assessed from 2000 to 2002 (Mage = 39.5 years) and 2009 to 2010 (Mage = 47.5) and included two types based on information from the lifetime trauma and victimization history instrument and questions about past year partner violence victimization. Individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment were more likely to report physical and sexual assaults and kidnapping and stalking victimization than controls through age 39.5. In contrast, the two groups did not differ at the later assessment at age 47.5, except maltreated individuals reported greater risk for sexual assault/abuse than controls. For intimate partner violence victimization at age 39.5, maltreated and control groups differed only in terms of victimization involving injury. Later in adulthood, more individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment reported partner physical violence victimization compared to controls. Although these longitudinal findings showed a general decline in victimization experiences over the two time points, these results demonstrate that childhood maltreatment increases risk for subsequent revictimization in middle adulthood, specifically for sexual assault/abuse and intimate partner physical violence victimization. These findings have implications for prevention and intervention efforts targeting maltreated children.