How the Lack of a Universal Definition of Childhood Neglect is Negatively Impacting U.S. Families

Social Judgment Theory can be a useful tool in understanding the ways in which judgment plays a role in how Child Protective Investigators determine if a child has been neglected. In most States, more children are removed by charges of ‘neglect only’ than for any other reason. A close examination of the States’ definitions of childhood neglect may offer insight as to how the writing of laws allows for discernment among case workers and further how their judgment is impacted by their own personal beliefs. In an effort to ensure child safety and prevent future traumas, the utilization of Social Judgment Theory should be considered in the social and psychological research of child welfare. Varying definitions of how neglect may propose a new variable in the differing outcomes of child removal between the states are discussed.

Emotion Reactivity and Suicide Risk in Patients With Depression: The Mediating Role of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Moderating Role of Childhood Neglect

Background: The association between emotion reactivity (ER) and suicide risk has been confirmed in recent studies, especially in patients with depression. However, there is a lack of understanding of the underlying mechanism of the relation from ER to suicide risk among patients with depression. This study planned to examine a model of how ER, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and childhood neglect (CN) interact to affect suicide risk in depressed patients.Methods: Four hundred and ninety-six patients (64.5% female, mean age = 30.40 years, SD = 12.56) who have accomplished self-rating instruments of ER, NSSI, CN, and suicide risk were included.Results: Findings showed that ER was positively connected with suicide risk, and NSSI partially mediated the above connection. Besides, CN moderated the mediation model, that is, the mediation effect was more pronounced in depressed patients with CN compared to depressed patients without CN.Conclusions: It was concluded that there is a relationship among ER, NSSI, CN, and suicide risk in patients with depression, and it strengthens our knowledge of the mechanism behind suicide risk. Our findings emphasize that the identification of NSSI and CN should be considered when assessing the suicide risk of patients with depression, as well as the intervention focus on emotion regulation and support for patients.

Higher polygenic scores for empathy increase posttraumatic stress severity in response to certain traumatic events

Background Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is triggered by environmental stressors. Empathy may predispose an individual to respond to life events differently if high empathizers are emotionally more sensitive to trauma. For the first time, we test this hypothesis at the genetic level. Methods We applied polygenic scoring (PGS) to investigate the shared genetics linking empathy (measured using the Empathy Quotient (EQ), a self-report measure of empathy; N=46,861) and PTSD symptom severity (measured using the 6-item PTSD Checklist 6-item (PCL-6)) in the UK Biobank (N=126,219). Follow-up analyses were performed in the context of (1) experiencing any of 16 potential traumas, (2) the total number of traumas endorsed, and (3) the context of trauma. Autism, depression, generalized anxiety, and PCL-17 PGS were included as covariates to verify the specificity of the effect. Results EQPGS associated with PCL-6 (R2=0.012%, P=9.35x10-5). This effect remained significant after accounting for autism, depression, PTSD, and anxiety PGS but was observed only in those who endorsed experiencing at least one traumatic event. EQPGS showed the strongest effect on PCL-6 (beta=2.32, s.e.=0.762, P=0.002) among those who endorsed childhood neglect/abuse (felt hated as a child). In the highest EQPGS decile, feeling hated as a child was associated with lower odds of healthy adulthood interpersonal relationships (OR=0.623, 95%CI 0.443-0.885) but this association was not seen in the lowest EQPGS decile. Conclusions A genetic predisposition to higher empathy, which may index greater emotional sensitivity, predisposes an individual to more severe PTSD symptoms, specifically in the presence of early negative life events.

Mediating Role of Maladaptive Schemas and Schema Modes between Childhood Maltreatment and Pathological Traits in Adults

It was aimed at that maladaptive schemas and schema modes serially mediate between childhood maltreatment and pathological traits. Sample of the present study consisted on university students (N=300).Purposive sampling technique was used to collect the information. Serial Mediation Analysis was conducted using PROCESS 3.0.Four scales were used for data collection The findings indicated that maladaptive schemas and positive schema modes mediated between childhood maltreatment and pathological traits. Maladaptive schemas and negative schema modes mediated between childhood maltreatment and pathological traits.The study supported the schema theory which revealed that early childhood neglect and abuse forms early maladaptive schemas which change into schema modes during the course of development and finally manifested in the form of personality pathologies during adulthood.The study has both theoretical as well as applied significance. The study has supported the theory of Young.

Associations of Childhood Neglect With the ACTH and Plasma Cortisol Stress Response in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Cross-sectional as well as longitudinal studies have linked childhood maltreatment to type 2 diabetes in adulthood with childhood neglect showing the strongest effect on type 2 diabetes risk. However, the mechanisms that link childhood maltreatment to type 2 diabetes are still unclear. Alterations in the psychological and physiological stress response system, specifically the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are a common finding in samples with a background of childhood neglect and are associated with type 2 diabetes. In the present study, we investigated the association between childhood neglect and the physiological and psychological stress response in patients with type 2 diabetes and healthy control participants.Method: We assessed emotional and physical childhood neglect in a sample of n = 74 patients with type 2 diabetes and n = 50 healthy control participants. We used the trier social stress test (TSST) to induce a stress response. Blood ACTH and cortisol levels were measured before (T0), directly after (T1) as well as 30 (T2) and 60 (T3) min after the TSST. Participants' subjective experience was assessed via visual analog scales before, directly after as well as at 45 min after the TSST. We used multiple regression analyses to predict the change in self-reported tension between T0 and T1. Multilevel models were applied to predict cortisol and ACTH levels across all measurement points.Results: We found a significant association between moderate to severe childhood neglect and a stronger psychological stress response in patients with type 2 diabetes, that was not present in healthy controls. In type 2 diabetes patients, but not in healthy controls, higher ACTH levels across all measurement points were significantly associated with higher severity of emotional neglect and higher severity of physical neglect was significantly associated with a stronger increase in plasma cortisol from T0 to T1.Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate whether childhood maltreatment in patients with type 2 diabetes could be associated with a dysregulated stress response. Our results show a link between the psychological and physiological stress response and childhood neglect in type 2 diabetes patients. This pathway is thus a possible mechanism connecting type 2 diabetes and childhood neglect.

Early Childhood Neglect Among 3- to 6-Year-Old Children in China: A Meta-Analysis

Background: This review aims to estimate the prevalence of the neglect of 3- to 6-year-old children in China. Method: We systematically searched both English- (Web of Science, PsychINFO, PubMed, and Cochrane Library) and Chinese-language databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, Weipu, and Biomedical Database). We extracted data related to the prevalence of early childhood neglect and its subtypes and pooled it using random effects models. Findings: We included 21 eligible studies, with a total of 35,175 3- to 6-year-old children, in the analyses. The pooled neglect prevalence was 32.1% at a 95% confidence interval (95% CI [27.0%, 37.2%]). The prevalence of physical, emotional, educational, security, and medical neglect was 15.2% (95% CI [11.9%, 18.5%]), 15.2% (95% CI [10.7%, 19.6%]), 10.4% (95% CI [7.4%, 13.4%]), 13.8% (95% CI [9.9%, 17.8%]), and 11.5% (95% CI [8.1%, 14.9%]), respectively. No gender or location differences were found to affect early childhood neglect or its subtypes. Interpretation: Our results revealed a high prevalence of early childhood neglect—including all its subtypes—among 3- to 6-year-old children in China. Improved child policies and prevention programs tailored to preschool children are needed to protect the well-being of younger children.