Self-stigma mediates the relationships between childhood maltreatment and symptom levels of PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

Background: Childhood maltreatment is a risk factor for developing multiple forms of psychopathology, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety. Yet, the mechanisms linking childhood maltreatment and these psychopathologies remain less clear.Objective: Here we examined whether self-stigma, the internalization of negative stereotypes about one's experiences, mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and symptom severity of depression, PTSD, and anxiety.Methods: Childhood trauma survivors (N = 685, Mage = 36.8) were assessed for childhood maltreatment, self-stigma, and symptoms of depression, PTSD, and anxiety. We used mediation analyses with childhood maltreatment as the independent variable. We then repeated these mediation models separately for childhood abuse and neglect, as well as the different subtypes of childhood maltreatment.Results: Self-stigma significantly mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression, PTSD, and anxiety symptoms. For sexual abuse - but not physical or emotional abuse - a significant mediation effect of self-stigma emerged on all symptom types. For childhood neglect, self-stigma significantly mediated the relationship between both emotional and physical neglect and all symptom types.Conclusion: Our cross-sectional study suggests that different types of childhood maltreatment experiences may relate to distinct mental health problems, potentially linked to increased self-stigma. Self-stigma may serve as an important treatment target for survivors of childhood abuse and neglect.

Childhood maltreatment is linked to depression, PTSD, and anxiety symptoms.Self-stigma, or internalizing negative stereotypes, plays a significant role in mediating this relationship.Different types of maltreatment are linked to varying levels of self-stigma and symptom severity.

Metacognition as a transdiagnostic factor across eating disorders: a latent profile analysis study.

Background: Metacognition is a crucial aspect of understanding and attributing mental states, playing a key role in the psychopathology of eating disorders (EDs). This study aims to explore the diverse clinical profiles of metacognition among patients with EDs using latent profile analysis (LPA). Method: A total of 395 patients with a DSM-5 diagnosis of ED (116 AN-R, 30 AN/BP, 100 BN, 149 BED) participated in this study. They completed self-report measures assessing metacognition, eating psychopathology, depression, emotional dysregulation, personality traits, and childhood adversities. LPA and Welch ANOVAs were conducted to identify profiles based on metacognition scores and examine psychological differences between them. Logistic regression models were employed to explore associations between personal characteristics and different profiles. Results: A 3-class solution had a good fit to the data, revealing profiles of high functioning (HF), intermediate functioning (IF), and low functioning (LF) based on levels of metacognitive impairments. Participants in the IF group were older and had a higher BMI than those in the HF and LF groups. Individuals with BN were largely categorized into HF and LF profiles, whereas participants with BED were mainly included in the IF profile. Participants in the LF group reported an impaired psychological profile, with high levels of depression, emotional dysregulation, childhood adversity, and personality dysfunction. Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed significant associations between metacognitive profiles and emotional and neglect abuse, emotion dysregulation, and detachment. Conclusion: This exploratory study unveils distinct metacognitive profiles in EDs, providing a foundation for future research and targeted interventions. In this light, metacognitive interpersonal therapy could be a valid and effective treatment for EDs, as suggested by the initial promising results for these patients.

Childhood Maltreatment and Toxic Stress: What We Have Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic Era.

Stress is a natural state that emerges due to the dynamics of an individual's life. Children must learn how to effectively manage stress as part of their growth and development. Resolution is possible when children are exposed to stress and receive adequate support from their families. However, when stress is intense, frequent, protracted, or traumatic, as in cases of childhood abuse, it can become toxic and interfere with the development of the child's brain and body. This results in vulnerability, which can have detrimental effects on the child's overall physical, mental, and emotional health. This perspective discusses the impact of childhood maltreatment and toxic stress, drawing on insights gained during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to shed light on the lessons learned from this unique and challenging period and how they inform our understanding of the effects of stress on children's well-being.

Impact of Childhood Maltreatment on Cognitive Function and Its Relationship With Emotion Regulation in Young Adults.

Objectives: Childhood maltreatment can negatively impact cognitive development, including executive function, working memory, and processing speed. This study investigated the impact of childhood maltreatment on cognitive function in young adults using various measurements, including computerized tests, and their relationship with emotional dysregulation. Methods: We recruited 149 healthy individuals with and without maltreatment experiences and used the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV (WAIS-IV) and a computerized battery to analyze cognitive function. Results: Both the WAIS-IV and computerized tests revealed that individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment had decreased cognitive function, especially in terms of working memory and processing speed. These individuals tended to employ maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. Among cognitive functions, working memory is negatively related to maladaptive emotion regulation strategies such as catastrophizing. Conclusion: This study highlights the effects of childhood maltreatment on cognitive function in young adulthood. Moreover, the study suggests clinical implications of cognitive interventions for improving emotion regulation and cognitive function in individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment.

Impact of emotional abuse on eating disorder psychopathology: A multiple mediation analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Childhood maltreatment, particularly emotional abuse (EA), has been identified as a significant risk factor for the development of eating disorders (EDs). This study investigated the association between EA and ED symptoms while considering multiple potential mediators. METHODS: Participants included 151 individuals with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), 115 with Bulimia Nervosa (BN), and 108 healthy controls. The Childhood trauma questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia scale, the Behavioral inhibition System, and the Eating Disorder Inventory 2 scale were completed before treatment. A mediator path model was conducted in each group: EA was set as independent variable, eating symptoms as dependent variables and ineffectiveness, sensitivity to punishment, alexithymia, and impulsivity as mediators. RESULTS: In individuals with AN, impulsivity emerged as a significant mediator between EA and desire for thinness and bulimic behaviors. Conversely, in individuals with BN, sensitivity to punishment was found to mediate the association between EA and dissatisfaction with one's body. Ineffectiveness and difficulty identifying emotions were identified as transdiagnostic mediators in both clinical groups. No mediation effect was found in healthy individuals. DISCUSSION: The simultaneous assessment of multiple mediators in a unique model outlines the complex interplay between childhood EA and ED psychopathology. Improving ineffectiveness, emotion identification, sensitivity to punishment and impulsivity and exploring their relations with early emotional abuse may represent treatment targets in individuals with EDs and childhood trauma.

Parental depression moderates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and the recognition of children expressions of emotions.

Background: Sensitivity plays a crucial role in parenting as it involves the ability to perceive and respond appropriately to children's signals. Childhood maltreatment and depression can negatively impact adults' ability to recognize emotions, but it is unclear which of these factors has a greater impact or how they interact. This knowledge is central to developing efficient, targeted interventions. This paper examines the interaction between parents' depressive symptoms and childhood maltreatment and its influence on their ability to recognize the five basic emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, fear, and disgust) in children's faces. Method: The sample consisted of 52 parents. Depressive symptoms were measured by the depression subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), and maltreatment history was assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Children's emotional stimuli were morphed images created using The Child Affective Facial Expression (CAFE) database. Results: Our findings indicate that depressive symptoms moderate the relationship between parents' history of childhood maltreatment and emotion recognition skills. Parents with higher depressive symptoms had lower emotion recognition accuracy when they had not experienced maltreatment. When childhood maltreatment was severe, emotion recognition skills were more consistent across all levels of depression. The relationship between depression and emotion recognition was primarily linked to recognizing sadness in children's faces. Conclusion: These findings highlight how different experiences can affect parental abilities in emotion recognition and emphasize the need for interventions tailored to individual profiles to improve their effectiveness.

Resilience as a moderator of the relationship between stress and different symptom dimensions of depression in adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment: A multi-wave longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Although childhood maltreatment is a key risk factor for the development of psychopathology including depression in later life, not all children who have been maltreated subsequently become depressed. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to examine the potentially moderating influence of resilience on the relationship between daily stress and different symptom dimensions of depression in adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A sample of students (n = 999) aged 12-16 years from middle schools with a history of childhood maltreatment participated in this study. METHODS: A multi-wave longitudinal study was conducted over 12 months. At baseline, adolescent participants completed standardized self-report measures of resilience, depression, and daily stress. The measures of depression and stress were re-administered every three months for the subsequent 12 months. Multi-level modeling was undertaken to analyze the data. RESULTS: In adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment, lower resilience scores were associated with greater increases in depressed affect, absence of positive affect and somatic symptom, but not the interpersonal concerns symptom dimensions of depression following daily stress. Resilience is therefore as one explanation for the discrepant findings regarding the relationship between stress and different symptom dimensions of depression, especially with regard to the stress-related depressive dimensions. CONCLUSION: Resilience appears to moderate the relationship between daily stress and depression and protect against developing depression in children who have been maltreated. Findings provide potential explanation for the effectiveness of resilience-related therapy in treating depressive symptoms.

Occipital connectivity networks mediate the neural effects of childhood maltreatment on depressive symptoms in major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a well-established risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD). The neural mechanisms linking childhood maltreatment experiences to changes in brain functional networks and the onset of depression are not fully understood. METHODS: In this study, we enrolled 66 patients with MDD and 31 healthy controls who underwent resting-state fMRI scans and neuropsychological assessments. We employed multivariate linear regression to examine the neural associations of CM and depression, specifically focusing on the bilateral occipital functional connectivity (OFC) networks relevant to MDD. Subsequently, a two-step mediation analysis was conducted to assess whether the OFC network mediated the relationship between CM experiences and the severity of depression. RESULTS: Our study showed that patients with MDD exhibited reduced OFC strength, particularly in the occipito-temporal, parietal, and premotor regions. These reductions were negatively correlated with CM scores and the severity of depression. Notably, the overlapping regions in the bilateral OFC networks, affected by both CM experiences and depressive severity, were primarily observed in the bilateral cuneus, left angular and calcarine, as well as the right middle frontal cortex and superior parietal cortex. Furthermore, the altered strengths of the OFC networks were identified as positive mediators of the impact of CM history on depression symptoms in patients with MDD. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that early exposure to CM may increase vulnerability to depression by influencing the brain's network. These findings provide new insights into understanding the pathological mechanism underlying depressive symptoms induced by CM.

Childhood maltreatment and suicide attempts in major depression and bipolar disorders in South Korea: A prospective nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is prevalent among patients with mood disorders and considered an important risk factor for suicide in the general population. Despite mood disorders being implicated in up to 60 % of completed suicides, the predictive role of CM on suicide attempt (SA) among early mood disorder patients remains poorly understood. METHODS: We enrolled 480 participants diagnosed with early-onset major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar I disorder (BD I), and bipolar II disorder (BD II). Over an average of 60 weeks, participants underwent follow-up assessments at 12-week intervals. Using multivariate logistic regression, we examined the association between CM and SA history at baseline. Further, the Cox proportional hazard model assessed the predictive role of childhood maltreatment in SA during follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline, 38 % of the total participants reported SA history, with a follow-up prevalence of 10 %. Childhood maltreatment was significantly associated with past SAs and was a robust predictor of future SA, adjusting for relevant clinical risk factors. Emotional abuse and sexual abuse related to SA history, and physical abuse increased future SA risk. LIMITATIONS: Potential biases in reporting SA and childhood maltreatment, along with unexplored factors such as additional environmental and familial risks, may affect the study's findings. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood maltreatment emerged as a robust predictor of SA among early-onset mood disorder patients. Systematic evaluation of CM early in the clinical process may be crucial for effective risk management. Additionally, our findings highlight the importance of implementing proactive interventions for CM to prevent the onset of adverse psychological trajectories.

Childhood maltreatment, genetic risk, and subsequent risk of arrhythmias: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Emerging evidence has linked childhood maltreatment with cardiovascular disease risk; however, the association between childhood maltreatment and cardiac arrhythmias remains unclear. Moreover, any genetic predispositions to atrial fibrillation (AF), a common cardiac arrhythmia associated with an elevated risk of stroke, heart failure, and mortality, that modify such associations have been undocumented.Purpose: To examine the associations between childhood maltreatment and incident arrhythmias, and whether a genetic predisposition to arrhythmias modifies these associations.Methods: This prospective analysis included 151,741 participants from the UK Biobank (mean age 55.8 years, 43.4% male). Childhood maltreatment, including five types, was measured using the Childhood Trauma Screener (CTS). Incident arrhythmias (AF, ventricular arrhythmias [VA], and bradyarrhythmia [BA]) were documented through linked hospital admission and death registry. Weighted AF genetic risk score was calculated. Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to test for associations between childhood maltreatment and incident arrhythmias.Results: During a median follow-up of 12.21 years (interquartile range, 11.49-12.90 years), 6,588 AF, 2,093 BA, and 742 VA events occurred. Compared with the absence of childhood maltreatment, having 3-5 types of childhood maltreatment was associated with an increased risk of incident AF (HR, 1.23; 95%CI 1.09-1.37), VA (HR, 1.39; 95%CI 1.03-1.89), and BA (HR, 1.32; 95%CI 1.09-1.61) after adjusting demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. The associations between cumulative type of childhood maltreatment and the risk of AF (Poverall < .001; Pnonlinear = .674) and BA (Poverall = .007; Pnonlinear = .377) demonstrated a linear pattern. There was a gradient association between childhood maltreatment and AF risks across the intermediate and high genetic risk groups (both Ptrend < .05) but not within the low genetic risk group (Ptrend = .378), irrespective of non-significant interaction effect (Pinteraction = .204).Conclusion: Childhood maltreatment was associated with higher risks of incident arrhythmias, especially AF and BA. Genetic risk of AF did not modify these associations.

Previous studies indicate that childhood maltreatment is associated with cardiovascular disease risk.Childhood maltreatment was associated with an increased risk of incident arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation and bradyarrhythmia. Genetic predisposition to atrial fibrillation did not significantly modify these associations.Childhood maltreatment could be a new psychological risk factor for cardiac arrhythmias in later life. Inquiries into childhood maltreatment and subsequent referral to psychological services may be helpful.

Childhood maltreatment and risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease - Evidence of sex-specific associations in the general population.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is linked to self-reported liver disease in adulthood. However, specific diagnostic entities, e.g., metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) as the most frequent chronic liver disease, and sex-differences have previously not been considered. METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted in 4188 adults from a population-based cohort in Northeastern Germany after excluding individuals with excessive alcohol consumption, cirrhosis, or chronic viral hepatitis. CM-exposure was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Liver-related outcomes included serologic liver enzymes, fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4) and, in 1863 subjects who underwent magnetic resonance imaging examination, liver fat content. Sex-stratified linear regression and logistic regression models predicting liver-related outcomes and risk for MASLD, respectively, from overall CTQ scores were adjusted for age, school education, alcohol consumption, and waist circumference. Exploratory analyses investigated effects of CTQ-subscales on liver-related outcomes and risk for MASLD. RESULTS: In both sexes, overall CM-exposure was associated with higher levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase and FIB-4 score. In men, effects were mainly driven by physical abuse, and in women by emotional neglect. Only in men, overall CM-exposure (ß = 0.70, 95%-CI 0.26-1.13, p = 0.002) and four CTQ-subscales were associated with greater liver fat content, and physical abuse (aOR = 1.22, 95%-CI 1.02-1.46, p = 0.034) and physical neglect (aOR = 1.25, 95%-CI 1.04-1.49, p = 0.015) were associated with higher risk for MASLD. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest sex differences in the association between CM and objective serum and imaging markers of MASLD in adulthood. For men especially, a history of CM-exposure may increase risk of developing MASLD in adulthood.

The impact of parental acceptance and childhood maltreatment on mental health and physical pain in Burundian survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

BACKGROUND: Parental support has been suggested to mitigate mental and physical consequences following childhood sexual abuse (CSA). However, many CSA survivors experience parental rejection post-CSA. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to understand the impact of abuse-specific parental acceptance on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical pain in Burundian CSA-survivors. We further assessed the significance of parental acceptance among known risk factors for predicting PTSD. METHODS, PARTICIPANTS, AND SETTINGS: Participants (N = 131, 80.9 % female, mean age 16.21 years) were recruited via primary health care centers for survivors of sexual violence which survivors approached post-CSA. Survivors reported on PTSD symptoms, daytime/nighttime pain, and adverse childhood experiences in semi-structured interviews. Parental acceptance levels were categorized (acceptance, no acceptance, no contact) for mothers and fathers separately. Kruskal-Wallis tests assessed group differences. Conditional random forests (CRF) evaluated the significance of parental acceptance in predicting PTSD symptom severity. RESULTS: No significant differences regarding PTSD symptoms and physical pain between levels of maternal acceptance were obtained. Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences in PTSD symptom severity between paternal acceptance and no acceptance (d = 1.04) and paternal acceptance and no contact (d = 0.81). The CRF identified paternal acceptance as important variable for the prediction of PTSD symptom severity. Even though results were less conclusive, medium effect sizes hint at less pain perception within the paternal acceptance group. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight paternal acceptance as a potential risk or protective factor regarding psychological and possibly physical well-being in the aftermath of CSA, even in the context of other known risk factors.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Unhoused Children Increase Odds of Psychiatric Illness, Physical Illness, and Psychiatric Admission.

Unhoused children and adolescents have high rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The objective of this study was to characterize a large cohort of unhoused children and investigate rates of psychiatric diagnoses, medical diagnoses, and utilization of emergency department (ED) resources depending on the presence of additional documented ACEs. A retrospective cohort of all unhoused children who presented to the ED of a large Midwestern health system from January 2014 to July 2019 were included. Unhoused status was determined by address field or ICD-10 code for homelessness (Z59.0). Demographics and ED visits were extracted from the electronic health record. Past medical history, ACEs, chief complaint (CC), length of stay (LOS), imaging, and labs were extracted by chart review. T-tests, chi square tests, and Fisher's exact tests were completed for each sub-analysis. Unhoused children with at least one additional ACE had higher odds of the following psychiatric disorders: depression (OR = 5.2, 95% CI = 3.4- 7.9), anxiety (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 32.1-5.5), behavioral disorder (OR = 7.2, 95% CI = 35.1- 10.4), psychoses (OR = 6.0, 1.9-18.4), bipolar disorder (OR = 19.8, 95% CI = 34.6-84.9), suicidal ideation (OR = 8.0, 95% CI = 34.8-13.4), post-traumatic stress disorder (OR = 10.1, 95% CI = 35.4-18.6), and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (OR = 4.1, 3.0-5.7). Patients with additional documented ACEs were also more likely to have a prior psychiatric admission (p < 0.001). Unhoused children and adolescents with exposure to additional documented ACEs are more likely to have some serious psychiatric and medical diagnoses compared to other unhoused children.

Factors influencing adult cognitive appraisals of childhood sexual abuse.

BACKGROUND: Adult appraisals of their childhood sexual experiences as abusive are associated with increased risk for long-term psychological problems. Factors that underlie whether adults appraise their childhood sexual experiences as abusive remain unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with adult cognitive appraisals of childhood sexual abuse. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Participants were 1196 adults ages 19-41 (M = 29.23, SD = 3.84) with documented cases of childhood maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect) during the years 1967-1971 and demographically matched controls who were followed-up and interviewed in adulthood. METHODS: Using a prospective cohort design, participants were asked to recall whether they had any sexual experiences in childhood, and if so, the frequency of abuse, age at the onset of abuse, relationship to perpetrator, and whether they appraised the experiences as sexually abusive. RESULTS: Over half of the sample (52%) reported childhood sexual experiences, yet only 44% considered those experiences sexually abusive. Participants with documented cases of child sexual abuse and neglect were more likely to appraise their childhood sexual experiences as abusive compared to controls. Participants who reported more severe abuse, more frequent abuse, younger age at the onset of abuse, and intrafamilial and both intra- and extrafamilial abuse (vs. extrafamilial abuse) were more likely to consider their experiences abusive. Compared to males and Black participants, females and White participants were more likely to appraise their experiences as abusive. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding factors that determine adult cognitive appraisals of childhood sexual experiences as abusive can inform clinical interventions for maltreated populations.

Gender-Specific Trajectories of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Adolescents: Predictive Roles of Distal and Proximal Risk Factors.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is considered a strong risk factor for suicide. Although NSSI is prevalent among adolescents and varies by gender, few studies have examined the gender-specific trajectory of NSSI and its predictors. This study examined the trajectory of NSSI among Chinese adolescent boys and girls separately, and the roles of distal (i.e., childhood maltreatment and its specific subtypes) and proximal risk factors (i.e., emotional dysregulation, peer victimization) on their trajectories. A total of 3290 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.08; SD = 0.84; 57.6% boys) participated in assessments at three time points. Latent class growth models identified three trajectories for boys: Low stable (92.5%), moderate increasing (5.0%) and high decreasing (2.5%). Four trajectories were identified for girls: Low stable (87.9%), moderate increasing (7.6%), high decreasing (3.0%) and high stable (1.5%). Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that both emotional dysregulation and emotional abuse predicted the trajectories of moderate increasing, high decreasing and high stable for girls, as well as predicted moderate increasing and high decreasing trajectories for boys. Peer victimization served as a significant risk factor predicting the moderate increasing and high decreasing trajectories only for girls, while overall childhood maltreatment was a remarkable predictor for the moderate increasing and high decreasing trajectories of boys. The findings highlighted the importance of gender differences in understanding the progression of NSSI and the key predictors, informing effective strategies for prevention and intervention.

Types of childhood maltreatment as predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder severity and complex posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with substance use disorders.

Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) can be divided into: emotional abuse (EA), physical abuse (PA), sexual abuse (SA), emotional neglect (EN), and physical neglect (PN). CM is associated with (Complex)Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD/CPTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD).Objective: This cross-sectional study examined the relationships between CM-subtypes with PTSD-severity and CPTSD in patients with SUD-PTSD.Method: Participants (N = 209) were treatment-seeking SUD-PTSD patients who completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-short form, the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 and the International Trauma Questionnaire. Regression analyses and a model selection procedure to select an optimal model were used to examine CM-subtypes as predictors of (C)PTSD, adjusted for sex and age.Results: Total CM and all CM-types significantly predicted PTSD-severity in the univariate regression analysis, with EA begin the strongest predictor. In the multiple regression only SA predicted PTSD-severity. Subsequently, model selection indicated that the optimal model to predict PTSD-severity included EA and SA. In the univariate analyses total CM, EA, and PN significantly predicted CPTSD-classification, and total CM and all CM-types significantly predicted CPTSD-severity. In the multiple regression for CPTSD-classification only EA and PA were significant predictors and for CPTSD-severity EA, PA and SA were significant predictors. In post-hoc multiple regression analyses, only EA was a significant predictor of CPTSD-classification and CPTSD-severity. Finally, in the model selection the most parsimonious model only included EA for both CPTSD-classification and CPTSD-severity. Sex was not a moderator in the relationship between CM and PTSD, nor in CM and CPTSD.Conclusions: These findings indicate that for SUD-PTSD patients, several CM-types have predictive value for (C)PTSD-severity, however SA and especially EA appear to contribute to these complaints. Since EA does not constitute an A-criterion, it is generally more overlooked in PTSD treatment. Its impact should therefore be underlined, and clinicians should be attentive to EA in their treatment.

All types of Childhood Maltreatment are associated with PTSD severity.Emotional Abuse and Sexual Abuse are most predictive for PTSD severity.Emotional Abuse is most predictive for CPTSD classification and symptom severity.

Continuous chains: childhood maltreatment and intimate partner violence victimization among displaced women in a war context.

BACKGROUND: Childhood victimization has been associated with long-term psychological effects and an increased risk of being victimized in later life. Previous research has primarily focused on sexual abuse during childhood, and a wide range of consequences have been identified. However, a significant gap remains in our understanding of the complex interaction between different forms of childhood abuse and violence in later life, particularly in the context of broader social stressors such as armed conflict and displacement. METHODS: This study examines the association between exposure to different types of childhood maltreatment in the context of family and intimate partner violence (IPV) among displaced women living in refugee camps in northern Iraq. Structured interviews were conducted by trained female psychologists with 332 women aged between 20 and 62 years. RESULTS: Results indicated that over one-third of the participating women reported experiencing at least one occurrence of IPV by their husbands within the past year. In addition, participants reported experiences of different types of maltreatment (physical, emotional, and sexual violence and physical and emotional neglect) perpetrated by family members in their childhood. While all forms of childhood maltreatment showed an association with IPV within the past year, only emotional childhood maltreatment was found to be a significant predictor of IPV in a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the ongoing impact of child maltreatment and its contribution to increased vulnerability to IPV victimization in later life. In addition, this study describes the specific cultural and contextual elements that contribute to IPV in refugee camps.

The amygdala volume moderates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits in adolescents with conduct disorder.

CU traits, characterized by shallow affect, lack of fear, and absence of remorse, have been moderately associated with childhood maltreatment in a recent meta-analysis. However, the potential impact of brain structures remains undetermined. This paper examines the relationship between callous-unemotional (CU) traits, childhood maltreatment, and amygdala volumes. In this study, we used a region-of-interest (ROI) analysis to explore the interaction between the volumes of the amygdala, childhood maltreatment, and the manifestation of CU traits in adolescents diagnosed with conduct disorder (CD, N = 67), along with a comparison group of healthy-control youths (HCs, N = 89). The ROI analysis revealed no significant group differences in the bilateral amygdalar volumes. Significant positive correlation was discovered between all forms of child maltreatment (except for physical neglect) and CU traits across subjects. But the interaction of physical abuse and amygdala volumes was only significant within CD patients. Notably, a sensitivity analysis suggested that gender significantly influences these findings. These results contribute critical insights into the etiology of CU traits, emphasizing the need for customized clinical assessment tools and intervention strategies.

The relationship of peripheral blood cell inflammatory biomarkers and psychological stress in unmedicated major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Recent research has explored the linkage between major depressive disorder (MDD) and inflammation, especially via altered peripheral blood immune markers. However, the relationship between several novel leukocyte-derived ratios (LDR) and psychological stress in MDD remains uncertain. This study aimed to explore the relationship between LDR, clinical characteristics, recent life events, and childhood maltreatment in MDD patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted involving 59 healthy controls (HC) and 50 unmedicated MDD patients. Subjects underwent psychological assessments and peripheral blood measurements. LDR assessed in this study included neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived NLR (dNLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), white blood cell-to-mean platelet volume ratio (WMR), systemic immune inflammation index (SII), multiplication of neutrophil and monocyte counts (MNM), and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI). RESULTS: MDD patients displayed significant alterations in WMR, PLR, and MNM compared to HC, as well as correlations between several LDR and various clinical features (duration of untreated psychosis and dNLR, the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire and PLR, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire and SIRI (NLR and dNLR). There was a significant difference in the comparison of WMR in first-episode patients than in recurrent patients. Analyses further revealed an association between Life Event Scale total scores and NLR (dNLR). No correlation was found between Childhood Trauma Questionnaire total (or subscale) scores and LDR. Additionally, WMR and dNLR presented potential predictive value for distinguishing between MDD and HC. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that MDD and some clinical features are associated with alterations in some peripheral blood LDR. These findings emphasize the potential role of peripheral blood LDR in the pathogenesis and clinical heterogeneity of MDD.