The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Children's Welbeing and Adult Behavior

Recent research has demonstrated that first responders may report posttraumatic growth (PTG), positive psychological changes that arise in the aftermath of a trauma. Less is known regarding the perception of PTG among 9-1-1 telecommunicators, a group of first responders exposed to a high degree of lifetime trauma, including duty-related trauma as well as early and non-duty-related trauma. Moreover, the impact of childhood trauma on the processes involved in the perception of growth is less clear. While some distress is needed to facilitate processes that lead to the perception of PTG, it has been suggested that positive associations between PTG and pathology reflect avoidant coping or represent an illusory component of PTG. Structural equation models were used to examine early trauma exposure, coping, and pathology in predicting PTG among 9-1-1 telecommunicators ( N = 788). In separate models using active and avoidant forms of coping, childhood trauma exposure had an indirect effect on PTG through coping. In a model considering both forms of coping, childhood trauma had an indirect effect on PTG through psychopathology, but not through coping. The results show that early trauma exposure leads to the perception of growth through pathways indicative of both adaptive and maladaptive coping processes.

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Foundations of posttraumatic stress disorder: Does early life trauma lead to adult posttraumatic stress disorder?

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579411000186 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 477-491 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Laura C. Pratchett ◽

Rachel Yehuda

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Childhood Abuse ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Biological Effects ◽

Subsequent Development ◽

Causal Link ◽

Early Life Trauma ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe effects of childhood abuse are diverse, and although pathology is not the only outcome, psychiatric illness, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can develop. However, adult PTSD is less common among those who experienced single-event traumas as children than it is among those who experienced childhood abuse. In addition, PTSD is more common among adults than children who experienced childhood abuse. Such evidence raises doubt about the direct, causal link between childhood trauma and adult PTSD. The experience of childhood trauma, and in particular abuse, has been identified as a risk factor for subsequent development of PTSD following exposure to adult trauma, and a substantial literature identifies revictimization as a factor that plays a pivotal role in this trajectory. The literature on the developmental effects of childhood abuse and pathways to revictimization, when considered in tandem with the biological effects of early stress in animal models, may provide some explanations for this. Specifically, it seems possible that permanent sensitization of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and behavioral outcomes are a consequence of childhood abuse, and these combine with the impact of retraumatization to sustain, perpetuate, and amplify symptomatology of those exposed to maltreatment in childhood.

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The role of social support in the association between childhood trauma and depression among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1177/0956462418793736 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 29-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Violeta J Rodriguez ◽

Stefani A Butts ◽

Lissa N Mandell ◽

Stephen M Weiss ◽

Mahendra Kumar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Hiv Infection ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Ethnically Diverse ◽

Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽

Physical Neglect ◽

Trauma Ct ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

The Impact

Childhood trauma (CT) – emotional, physical or sexual abuse, or emotional or physical neglect – has been associated with HIV infection and can lead to poor health outcomes and depression in adulthood. Though the impact of CT on depression may be decreased by social support, this may not be true of individuals living with HIV, due to the additive traumatic effects of both CT and acquisition of HIV. This study examined social support, depression, and CT among HIV-infected (n = 134) and HIV-uninfected (n = 306) men and women. Participants (N = 440) were assessed regarding sociodemographic characteristics, CT, depression, and social support. Participants were racially and ethnically diverse, 36 ± 9 years of age on average, and 44% had an income of less than USD$500 a month. Among HIV-uninfected individuals, social support explained the association between depression in persons with CT ( b = 0.082, bCI [0.044, 0.130]). Among HIV-infected individuals, after accounting for sociodemographic characteristics, social support did not explain the association between depression and CT due to lower levels of social support among HIV-infected individuals [95% CI: −0.006, 0.265]. The quality of social support may differ among HIV-infected persons due to decreased social support and smaller social networks among those living with HIV. Depressive symptoms among those living with HIV appear to be less influenced by social support, likely due to the additive effects of HIV infection combined with CT.

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Evidence That the Impact of Childhood Trauma on IQ Is Substantial in Controls, Moderate in Siblings, and Absent in Patients With Psychotic Disorder

Schizophrenia Bulletin ◽

10.1093/schbul/sbw177 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 316-324 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Jim van Os ◽

Anne Marsman ◽

Daniela van Dam ◽

Claudia J. P. Simons ◽

Keyword(s):

Childhood Trauma ◽

Psychotic Disorder ◽

The Impact

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S182. Evidence That the Polygenic Risk Score for Neuroticism Does Not Moderate the Impact of Childhood Trauma on Neuroticism: A GxE Model

Biological Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.02.1074 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 83 (9) ◽

pp. S418

Author(s):

Boris Klingenberg ◽

Sinan Guloksuz ◽

Claudia Menne-Lothmann ◽

Jeroen Decoster ◽

Ruud van Winkel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Childhood Trauma ◽

Risk Score ◽

Polygenic Risk Score ◽

Polygenic Risk ◽

The Impact

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Depression across pregnancy and the postpartum, antidepressant use and the association with female sexual function

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291718002040 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 49 (09) ◽

pp. 1490-1499 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Megan Galbally ◽

Stuart J. Watson ◽

Michael Permezel ◽

Andrew J. Lewis

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Sexual Functioning ◽

Perinatal Depression ◽

Mode Of Delivery ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Partner Support ◽

Antidepressant Use ◽

Female Sexual Functioning ◽

The Impact

AbstractBackgroundThere is an established relationship between depression and sexual functioning in women. However, there is limited research examining the relationship between perinatal depression and sexual functioning.MethodsThis study draws on the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study and reports on 211 women recruited in early pregnancy and followed to 12 months postpartum. Women were assessed for depression using the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV, repeated measurement of depressive symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and sexual functioning using the Female Sexual Functioning Inventory. Data were also collected on antidepressant use, mode of delivery, history of childhood trauma, breastfeeding and partner support.ResultsWomen showed a decline in sexual functioning over pregnancy and the first 6 months postpartum, which recovered by 12 months. For women with depression, sexual functioning was lower throughout pregnancy and continued to be lower at 6 months postpartum than those without depression. Ongoing depressive symptoms at 12 months were also associated with lower sexual functioning. Sexual functioning was not predicted by mode of delivery, antidepressant use or childhood trauma. Breastfeeding predicted lower sexual functioning only at 6 months. Higher partner support predicted higher female sexual functioning.ConclusionsPregnancy and the postpartum are a time of reduced sexual functioning for women; however, women with depression are more likely to have lower levels of sexual functioning and this was not predicted by antidepressant use. In women with perinatal depression, consideration of the impact on sexual functioning should be an integral part of care.

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