Dataset Information

Personality functioning and the pathogenic effect of childhood maltreatment in a high-risk sample.

ABSTRACT:

Background

While the psychopathological sequalae of childhood maltreatment are widely acknowledged, less is known about the underlying pathways by which childhood maltreatment might lead to an increased risk for mental health problems. Recent studies indicated that impaired personality functioning might mediate this relationship. The aim of the present paper was to extend the current literature by investigating the mediating effect of impaired personality functioning between different types of childhood maltreatment and self-reported mental health problems in a high-risk sample.

Methods

Overall, 173 young adults (mean age = of 26.61 years; SD = 3.27) with a history of residential child welfare and juvenile justice placements in Switzerland were included in the current study. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), Semi-structured Interview for Personality Functioning DSM-5 (STiP-5.1) and the self-report questionnaires of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment scales (ASEBA) were used. Mediation analyses were conducted through structural equation modeling.

Results

Overall, 76.3% (N = 132) participants indicated at least one type of childhood maltreatment, with emotional neglect being most commonly reported (60.7%). A total of 30.6% (N = 53) participants self-reported mental health problems. Emotional abuse (r = 0.34; p < .001) and neglect (r = 0.28; p < .001) were found to be most strongly associated with mental health problems. In addition, impaired personality functioning was fond to be a significant mediator for overall childhood maltreatment (β = 0.089; p = 0.008) and emotional neglect (β = 0.077; p = 0.016). Finally, impaired self-functioning was found to be a significant mediator when both self-functioning and interpersonal functioning were included as potential mediators in the relationship between overall childhood maltreatment (β₁ = 0.177, p₁ = 0.007) and emotional neglect (β₁ = 0.173, p₁ = 0.003).

Conclusion

Emotional neglect may be particularly important in the context of childhood maltreatment, personality functioning, and mental health problems and, therefore, should not be overlooked next to the more "obvious" forms of childhood maltreatment. Combining interventions designed for personality functioning with trauma-informed practices in standard mental health services might counteract the psychopathological outcomes of maltreated children and adolescents.

SUBMITTER: d'Huart D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9710065 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Personality functioning and the pathogenic effect of childhood maltreatment in a high-risk sample.

d'Huart Delfine D Hutsebaut Joost J Seker Süheyla S Schmid Marc M Schmeck Klaus K Bürgin David D Boonmann Cyril C

Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health 20221130 1

<h4>Background</h4>While the psychopathological sequalae of childhood maltreatment are widely acknowledged, less is known about the underlying pathways by which childhood maltreatment might lead to an increased risk for mental health problems. Recent studies indicated that impaired personality functioning might mediate this relationship. The aim of the present paper was to extend the current literature by investigating the mediating effect of impaired personality functioning between different ty ...[more]

PMID: 36451183

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Project description:BackgroundTraumatic childhood experiences are a major risk factor for developing mental disorders later in life. Over the past decade, researchers have begun to investigate the role of early trauma in impairments in personality functioning following the introduction of the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders in Section III of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders 5. Although first studies were able to empirically demonstrate a significant link between early trauma and impairments in personality functioning, only little is known about the underlying mechanisms. One possible mechanism is body connection due to its involvement in self-regulatory processes and its link to both early trauma and personality (dys)functioning.ObjectiveIn the current study, we investigated whether body connection, which encompasses the awareness, integration, and utilization of one's own bodily signals, mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and personality functioning.Participants and settingA total of 1,313 adult participants recruited in Germany and Chile anonymously provided self-report data in an online survey.MethodsSelf-report data included the short form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), the Scale of Body Connection (SBC), and the brief form of the Levels of Personality Functioning Scale (LPFS-BF 2.0) as well as demographic data (age, sex, education, clinical diagnoses).ResultsTraumatic childhood experiences explained 27.2% of the variance in impairments in personality functioning. Interestingly, 60.5% of this effect was explained by body connection, particularly body dissociation. Additional exploratory analyses revealed that body dissociation and, to a much lesser extent, body awareness, accounted for 64.41% of the variance in self functioning and 55.75% of the variance in interpersonal functioning explained by childhood trauma.ConclusionBody connection appears to be an important mediator in the association between early trauma and impaired personality functioning, underscoring the need for interventions specifically targeting the avoidance and ignorance of signals from one's own body in individuals with traumatic childhood trauma.

Project description:Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is thought to play a key role in the etiology and course of psychotic disorders (PD). In addition, CM is related to neurobiological and clinical characteristics that can lead to poor social functioning. However, the extent to which CM and social functioning are directly associated in individuals with PD, is unclear. Therefore, we aim to systematically review the literature to provide an estimate on the strength of the association between CM and different domains of social functioning in PD and to summarize potential moderators and mediators of this association.Methods and analysis: To identify relevant studies, we will systematically search the following databases: Pubmed (Medline), PsycInfo, Embase, Web of Science (Core Collection), and Pilots (trauma), manually search reference lists and contact experts in the field. Studies will be included if they investigate and report on the association between CM (exposure) and social functioning (outcome) in adults with PD. Two independent reviewers will screen titles, abstracts and full texts according to eligibility criteria, perform data extraction and assess study quality according to a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.Analysis: Effect estimates will be pooled in a meta-analysis. Heterogeneity and publication bias will be assessed and the effects of potential moderators (genetic factors, type of diagnosis, duration of illness, type of CM and age at the time of CM exposure) will be analyzed using meta-regressions. Candidate moderators and mediators (neurocognition, cognitive schemas, comorbidities, stress sensitivity, attachment) will be also examined qualitatively.Ethics and dissemination: Because this review will make use of already published data, ethical approval will not be sought. This work has the potential to inform upcoming investigations on the association between the exposure to CM in PD and social functioning. PROSPERO registration number CRD42020175244.

Dataset Information

Personality functioning and the pathogenic effect of childhood maltreatment in a high-risk sample.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Personality functioning and the pathogenic effect of childhood maltreatment in a high-risk sample.

Similar Datasets

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