scholarly journals Emotion Regulation and Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Childhood Abuse

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110219
Author(s):  
Alana Siegel ◽  
Yael Lahav
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Abuse Survivors ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
History Of Childhood ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
History Of

The COVID-19 pandemic may be experienced as traumatogenic and may fuel or exacerbate psychological distress and trauma-related symptoms. Based on trauma research, one might expect that survivors of childhood abuse would be susceptible to these negative outcomes during the pandemic, and that among this population a stronger relation between emotion regulation difficulties and symptomatology would be found. Aiming to explore these suppositions, an online survey was conducted among 710 Israeli adults. Of them, 370 were childhood abuse survivors. A history of childhood abuse, COVID-19-related stressors, overall psychological distress, and peritraumatic stress symptoms during the pandemic were assessed via self-report measures. Participants with a history of childhood abuse had elevated overall psychological distress as well as peritraumatic stress symptoms during the pandemic, compared to nonabused participants, above and beyond demographic characteristics and COVID-19-related stressors. Emotion regulation difficulties were related to elevated psychological distress and peritraumatic stress symptoms among both childhood abuse survivors and nonabused participants. Nonetheless, a history of childhood abuse moderated the relations between the emotion regulation difficulty of being unable to engage in goal-directed behaviors when distressed (on one hand) and mental outcomes (on the other): Although the associations between inability to engage in goal-directed behaviors, overall psychological distress, and peritraumatic stress symptoms were nonsignificant among nonabused participants, they were significant among childhood abuse survivors. The current findings suggest that a history of childhood abuse might be a risk factor for distress in the face of COVID-19, and that childhood abuse survivors would benefit from clinical interventions that promote emotion regulation skills during this ongoing global health crisis.

The Role of Maternal Self-efficacy in the Link Between Childhood Maltreatment and Maternal Stress During Transition to Motherhood

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110428
Author(s):  
Gabriella Bentley ◽  
Osnat Zamir
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Parental Stress ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
History Of Childhood ◽  
Transition To Motherhood ◽  
History Of

The transition to motherhood is a significant developmental milestone in many women’s lives. This transitional period may be more stressful for women with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) than for women without such a history. This study tested whether parental self-efficacy (PSE) accounts for the link between CM and parental stress in mothers transitioning to motherhood. The study used a convenience sample of 1,306 first-time mothers of children aged two years or younger. Mothers filled out online self-report questionnaires assessing history of CM, PSE, and prenatal stress. Consistent with the hypotheses, exposure to CM was directly associated with greater parental stress. Also, PSE partially mediated the associations between CM and parental stress, such that mothers with a history of childhood abuse reported a lower level of PSE, which in turn was associated with greater parental stress. In conclusion, the study highlights the important role of negative cognitions related to parenting for maternal dysfunction following exposure to childhood abuse. These findings suggest a need to incorporate preventive interventions designed to promote PSE for mothers exposed to CM. Such programs may alleviate parental stress and further support the healthy development of the child.

scholarly journals History of childhood abuse is associated with less positive treatment outcomes in socially stable women with alcohol use disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fides Schückher ◽  
Tabita Sellin ◽  
Ingemar Engström ◽  
Kristina Berglund
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Alcohol Use Disorder ◽  
Self Report ◽  
History Of Childhood ◽  
End Of Treatment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Report Data ◽  
Self Report Data

Abstract Background To examine the relationship between treatment outcome, as measured according to change in alcohol consumption, and a history of childhood abuse (emotional, physical, sexual) in socially stable women undergoing treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods Participants were assessed using the Addiction Severity Index and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview at the beginning of treatment (n = 75), end of treatment (n = 59) and 12 month follow-up after treatment (n = 57). Self-report data on alcohol consumption were obtained at all three time-points using the Alcohol Habits Inventory-Revised 2. Self-report data on childhood maltreatment were obtained at the beginning of treatment using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-short form. Study outcomes were changes in alcohol consumption (grams of pure alcohol per week), risk-drinking and reported abstinence. Results Of the 75 women enrolled, 38 (50.7%) reported a history of childhood abuse and the rest did not. Both groups showed a significant improvement in all three outcomes at the end of treatment and at 12-month follow-up. At the end of treatment, a significant inter-group difference was found for reported abstinence (non-abused group, 39.3% vs abused, 12.9%; p < 0.05). At 12-month follow-up, significant inter-group differences were observed for all treatment outcomes, with superior outcomes being found for the non-abused group, including a higher proportion of women with reported abstinence (55.6% vs 13.3%; p < 0.01). Conclusion The present findings suggest that an evaluation of a possible history of childhood abuse is warranted in all women seeking treatment for AUD, irrespective of social stability. In terms of clinical practice, the results suggest that additional interventions may be warranted in this population.

Identification With the Aggressor and Inward and Outward Aggression in Abuse Survivors

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052093851
Author(s):  
Yael Lahav ◽  
Santiago Allende ◽  
Anat Talmon ◽  
Karni Ginzburg ◽  
David Spiegel
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Abuse Survivors ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Relational Dynamics ◽  
Identification With The Aggressor ◽  
History Of Childhood ◽  
History Of ◽  
Violent Acts ◽  
Low Levels

Childhood abuse survivors may display both inward and outward aggression manifested in self-injurious behavior (SIB) and violent acts toward others. Scrutinizing the literature reveals that the relational dynamics between victims and their perpetrators might be involved in these phenomena. Yet, research on this subject matter has been sparse. Filling this gap, this study investigated the contribution of the singular bonds between victims and their perpetrators, known as identification with the aggressor, in explaining survivors’ aggression. The study was conducted among 306 Israeli college/university students who reported a history of childhood abuse. Results revealed that levels of adopting the perpetrator’s experience, identifying with the perpetrator’s aggression, and replacing one’s agency with that of the perpetrator were significantly associated with survivors’ inward and outward aggression. Moreover, profile type—that is, having high versus low levels of identification with the aggressor—was implicated in participants’ SIBs, urge to harm others, and violent acts toward others, above and beyond the effects of gender and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The present findings suggest that identification with the aggressor might make survivors prone to the re-enactment of past abusive dynamics, which, in turn, could eventuate in aggression toward themselves and others.

The Impact of a History of Childhood Abuse on Life as a College Student

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-184
Author(s):  
David Sedlacek ◽  
Stanley Stevenson ◽  
Carrie Kray ◽  
Timothy Henson ◽  
Chelsea Burrows ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Student ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
History Of Childhood ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

The Impact of a History of Childhood Abuse on Hospital Outcome of Affective Episodes

1998 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis A. Giese ◽  
Marshall R. Thomas ◽  
Steven L. Dubovsky ◽  
Sharon Hilty
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
History Of Childhood ◽  
Hospital Outcome ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

JUUL E-Cigarette Quit Attempts and Cessation Perceptions in College Student JUUL E-Cigarette Users

2020 ◽  
pp. 089011712098240
Author(s):  
Kim Pulvers ◽  
John B. Correa ◽  
Paul Krebs ◽  
Omar El Shahawy ◽  
Crystal Marez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Student ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Quit Attempt ◽  
Lower Confidence ◽  
Perceived Difficulty ◽  
Quit Attempts ◽  
History Of

Purpose: This study describes the frequency of JUUL e-cigarette (referred to as JUUL) quit attempts and identifies characteristics associated with confidence in quitting and perceived difficulty quitting JUUL. Design: Cross-sectional study from a self-administered online survey. Setting: Two public southern California universities. Participants: A total of 1,001 undergraduate students completed the survey from February to May 2019. Measures: Self-report measures about JUUL included use, history of quit attempts, time to first use, perceived difficulty with cessation/reduction, and confidence in quitting. Analysis: Binary logistic regressions were used to identify demographic and tobacco-related behavioral correlates of JUUL cessation-related perceptions and behaviors. Results: Nearly half of ever-JUUL users (47.8%) reported a JUUL quit attempt. Adjusting for demographic factors and other tobacco product use, shorter time to first JUUL use after waking was associated with lower confidence in quitting JUUL (aOR = 0.02, 0.00-0.13) and greater perceived difficulty in quitting JUUL (aOR = 8.08, 2.15-30.35). Previous JUUL quit attempt history was also associated with greater odds of perceived difficulty quitting JUUL (aOR = 5.97, 1.74-20.53). Conclusions: History of JUUL quit attempts among college students was common. Those who had previously tried quitting were more likely to perceive difficulty with cessation. Time to first JUUL use, a marker of dependence, was linked with greater perceived cessation difficulty and lower confidence in quitting. These findings suggest that there is a need for cessation and relapse prevention support for college student JUUL users.

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