The impact of childhood maltreatment on adult inflammation and the  role of social support and loneliness as moderators in this relationship

Background: Childhood maltreatment has been linked to higher risks for poorer health in adulthood with elevated levels of inflammatory markers as a potential mechanism explaining this link. Close social relationships might buffer against the negative consequences of stress, such as childhood maltreatment, on immune function. Research objective: This study aimed at investigating the association between childhood maltreatment and adult inflammation and the role of loneliness and social support as potential moderators in this relationship. Methods: Data from the 3G study (Buisman et al., 2020) with a multi-informant multigeneration cross-sectional design was used. In total, a sample of 113 adult individuals who provided saliva samples for IL-6, IL-8, TNF-⍺, and IFN- analyses and completed self-report questionnaires about loneliness, social support, and experienced childhood maltreatment in the first 18 years of life was included in the analyses. Results: Childhood maltreatment did not...Show moreBackground: Childhood maltreatment has been linked to higher risks for poorer health in adulthood with elevated levels of inflammatory markers as a potential mechanism explaining this link. Close social relationships might buffer against the negative consequences of stress, such as childhood maltreatment, on immune function. Research objective: This study aimed at investigating the association between childhood maltreatment and adult inflammation and the role of loneliness and social support as potential moderators in this relationship. Methods: Data from the 3G study (Buisman et al., 2020) with a multi-informant multigeneration cross-sectional design was used. In total, a sample of 113 adult individuals who provided saliva samples for IL-6, IL-8, TNF-⍺, and IFN- analyses and completed self-report questionnaires about loneliness, social support, and experienced childhood maltreatment in the first 18 years of life was included in the analyses. Results: Childhood maltreatment did not predict the inflammatory markers IL-6, IL-8, TNF-⍺, and IFN-. Further, loneliness and social support did not moderate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adult inflammation. Conclusion: Future research is needed to investigate the role of social support and loneliness as potential moderators in the association between childhood maltreatment and adult inflammation. Several implications for future research are discussed that will help to establish interventions that aim at reducing the risks for poorer health in adults with a history of childhood maltreatment.Show less

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The impact of childhood maltreatment on adult inflammation and the role of social support and loneliness as moderators in this relationship