The Subjective Impact and Timing of Adversity Scale: A Feasibility Study Using Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Data.

This study assessed the feasibility of a multi-domain measure of the occurrence, impact, and timing of childhood/adolescent psychological adversity exposure, the Subjective Impact and Timing of Adversity Scale (SITA). Participants were from among those who had previously participated in two waves of data collection when aged approximately 14 and 21 years. Internal consistency estimates at both online and interview stages were acceptable for all SITA domains (with the exception of parental loss). SITA domain scores correlated meaningfully with scores on other scales and psychological measures, supporting convergent validity. Those with lifetime psychiatric diagnoses scored significantly higher on SITA domains than those not meeting diagnostic threshold. There was evidence of the importance of both the subjective impact and timing of adversity with regard to psychiatric diagnoses. The study demonstrates the viability of the SITA; however, further studies are required to substantiate these findings in larger samples.

The association between familial death in childhood or adolescence and subsequent substance use disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to childhood adversity has been linked to long-term negative mental health consequences in adulthood. PURPOSE: This review examined the association between exposure to the death of a family member (i.e., parent or sibling) during childhood or adolescence and the subsequent diagnosis of a substance use disorder. METHODS: Electronic databases (Scopus, Medline (for Ovid), EMBASE, and PsychINFO) were searched for cohort and case-control studies in the English language. Studies were retained if it was demonstrable that exposure to death occurred before age 18, and that disorder was diagnosed subsequently. Sensitivity analyses were performed for the meta-analysis, and study quality assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: Nine studies, seven cohort and two case-control, were retained. Due to differential metrics (hazard ratios [HRs] versus odds/risk ratios [ORs/RRs]), only one meta-analysis was possible. Individuals experiencing familial death had 1.42 (95% CI = 0.96, 2.09) times the odds of developing a substance use disorder compared to those non-exposed. Where there was a statistically significant effect in other studies, these were mostly studies using National Registers (1.4 ≤ HR ≤ 2.51). LIMITATIONS: Meta-analysis options were limited by the variety of study designs. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence for a significant association between familial death and subsequent disorder appears to be an artefact of the study design. Implications of key findings. Further studies are required to better understand and estimate the association between familial death and substance use disorders. Registration and funding. The review was pre-registered (PROSPERO Reg No: CRD42020192892) and funded by the Irish Research Council (COALESCE/2019/61).

A meta-analysis of the relationship between parental death in childhood and subsequent psychiatric disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review evidence for an association between parental death in childhood, and the subsequent development of an anxiety, affective or psychotic disorder. METHODS: Electronic databases (Scopus, Medline (for Ovid), EMBASE and PsychINFO) were searched for peer-reviewed, cohort studies in the English language. Meta-analyses were performed for studies reporting hazard ratios, incidence rate ratios and odds ratios. Two studies reported risk ratios, and these were included in an overall pool of odds, risk and incidence rate ratios. Sensitivity analyses were performed (removal of one study at a time) for all meta-analyses, and study quality assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: Fifteen studies were retained, and where required, data were averaged in advance of pooling. Significant results were observed in studies reporting hazard ratios (k = 4, 1.48 [95% CI = 1.32-1.66]), incidence rate ratios (k = 3, 1.37 [95% CI = 1.01-1.85]), but not odds ratios (k = 4, 0.87 [95% CI = 0.72, 1.05]). However, the overall pooled effect (using odds, incidence rate and risk ratios) was statistically significant (k = 9, 1.22 [95% CI = 1.03-1.44]). CONCLUSION: Overall, the evidence suggests that there is a positive association between the death of a parent before age 18, and the subsequent development of an anxiety, affective or psychotic disorder. The lack of a significant pooled effect in studies reporting results as odds ratios is likely an artefact of study design. LIMITATIONS: Data were clustered in four countries making generalizability uncertain. Studies adjusted for a variety of possible confounders, and follow-up after death varied considerably.

Childhood trauma and adult mental disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review evidence for the association between trauma experienced in childhood or adolescence, and the subsequent experience of affective or psychotic mental disorders in adulthood. METHODS: Electronic databases (Scopus, Medline (for Ovid), EMBASE and PsychINFO) were searched for peer-reviewed, longitudinal cohort studies in the English language examining child or adolescent exposure to trauma, and adult-diagnosed depression, anxiety, psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder. A total of 23 manuscripts were retained. RESULTS: Results revealed a significant association between the following childhood exposures and adult mental disorder: bullying (victimhood, perpetration and frequency); emotional abuse; physical neglect; parental loss; and general maltreatment (unspecified and/or multiple trauma exposure). There was some evidence of a dose-response relationship with those exposed to multiple forms of maltreatment having more than three times the odds of developing a mental disorder (Odds ratio = 3.11, 95% CI = 1.36-7.14). There was no significant association found between physical or sexual abuse and adult mental disorder; however, this is likely an artefact of how these adversities were assessed. CONCLUSION: There is strong evidence of an association between childhood trauma and later mental illness. This association is particularly evident for exposure to bullying, emotional abuse, maltreatment and parental loss. The evidence suggests that childhood and adolescence are an important time for risk for later mental illness, and an important period in which to focus intervention strategies.

The Adolescent and Adult Time Inventory-Time Attitudes Scale: A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis of Psychometric Studies.

The exponential growth in studies demonstrating the utility of temporal psychology has been accompanied by many studies criticizing the psychometric properties of many of its assessment measures. The Adolescent (and Adult) Time Inventory-Time Attitudes Scale (AATI-TA) has been relatively immune to these criticisms. Given the increase in the use of this particular measure, we undertook a comprehensive review of studies assessing the psychometric validity and internal consistency of the AATI-TA. Computerized searches were conducted in Scopus, PsycINFO, and EMBASE databases, with 19 manuscripts ultimately retained, and data from a total of 29 samples analyzed. Results revealed that at a broad level, these analyses supported both the psychometric validity, and internal consistency of AATI-TA scores, with some minor issues identified with the Future Negative dimension. Meta-regression analyses revealed some small-sized but significant effects for age, language, and location on RMSEA, alpha values, and mean scores. However, these did not survive the Benjamini-Hochberg correction. Observed heterogeneity among studies has implications for any future creation of scale norms. Future directions for research include an exploration of the readability and appropriateness of Future Negative items, temporal stability of scores, and more psychometric studies with adult samples.