Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) has been associated with dysfunctional cogni-tions and depression. Cognitive reactivity (CR) is the change in dysfunctional cognitions re-activated by mild...Show moreBackground: Childhood maltreatment (CM) has been associated with dysfunctional cogni-tions and depression. Cognitive reactivity (CR) is the change in dysfunctional cognitions re-activated by mild dysphoria and is a vulnerability marker for depression. Past research sup-ports the hypothesis that CM is also associated with higher CR. Aim: To assess whether CM associates with higher CR and to identify the relationship be-tween CR subscales and CM subscales. Methods: The data were from a longitudinal cohort study (n=1780) , Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). CM (emotional/physical/ sexual abuse and emotion-al/physical neglect), depression, LEIDS, Neuroticism, and Extraversion were assessed at wave 4. The association between CM and CR was assessed with a linear regression analysis. The association of the CM subscales with LEIDS, Neuroticism, Extraversion, and the LEIDS subscales (hopelessness, aggression, rumination) with multiple regression analysis. Results: Higher CM scores significantly related to higher CR scores, Neuroticism, and Ex-traversion. Though only emotional maltreatment was consistently significant on all varia-bles and the LEIDS subscales (p<.01). RUM associated with the most maltreatment types (emotional/ sexual abuse and emotional/physical neglect), then HOP (emotional abuse and emotional/physical neglect), and then AGG (emotional abuse and emotional neglect). Conclusions: Present study found support for an association between CM and CR, but also Extraversion and Neuroticism. Especially emotional maltreatment was significant for all the variables and subscales. Looking at the LEIDS subscales, RUM associated with the most CM types. Physical abuse was the only type that was not significant on the LEIDS or its sub-scales.Show less
