Children’s early life experiences cause the emergence of individual differences in stress coping and social behavior. Attachment styles (AS) conceptualize stable behavioral patterns in response to...Show moreChildren’s early life experiences cause the emergence of individual differences in stress coping and social behavior. Attachment styles (AS) conceptualize stable behavioral patterns in response to stress and can predict long-term susceptibility to mental illness. This study investigates the relationship between 1-year-old infants’ AS, their hormonal stress response in terms of cortisol reactivity (CR) - both assessed in the course of the Strange Situation procedure - and the influence of these factors on children’s scores on the Child Behavior Checklist’s internalizing behavior problem scale (CBCL-I) five years later. Based on previous research, CR was expected to be higher with insecure compared to secure AS. Insecure AS and higher CR in infancy were expected to be associated with higher CBCL-I scores in later childhood. CR was hypothesized to partly mediate the relationship between AS and CBCL-I. Relevant longitudinal data (n=220; 40.8% female, 51.7% male) were drawn from a sample of mother-child dyads (“BIBO” research project). No evidence for any of the hypotheses could be found, as the analyses yielded no statistically significant associations between AS and CBCL-I scores, AS and CR, or CR and CBCL-I. Consequently, testing for CR’s potential mediating role was deemed irrelevant. The results contradict previous findings and raise important questions. The study’s limitations are discussed and suggestions are derived to inform future research on stress pathways in the pathogenesis of mental disorder. Above all, the poorly understood role of potentially decisive covariates in the interplay between AS, CR, and internalizing behavior need to be investigated more thoroughly.Show less
The experiences of interpersonal trauma can have long-lasting effects on multiple life domains including mental health. Literature suggests that the strength of this relation may be impacted by the...Show moreThe experiences of interpersonal trauma can have long-lasting effects on multiple life domains including mental health. Literature suggests that the strength of this relation may be impacted by the amount of experiential avoidance individuals use. This study aims to examine the relation between interpersonal trauma and depressive feelings and the impact of experiential avoidance on this relation. This was investigated by means of online self-report questionnaires performed by 27 females with an average age of 46.26 (SD = 11.85). To measure whether participants experienced interpersonal trauma the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 was administered. Depression scores were assessed by means of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Experiential avoidance was measured with the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire- II. Linear and multiple regression analyses were performed, and indicated that females who experienced interpersonal trauma score significantly higher on depression than females who did not experience interpersonal trauma (p = .008, R 2 = .25). Findings of the multiple regression analysis indicate no significant interaction of interpersonal trauma and experiential avoidance (p = .614). However, experiential avoidance by itself was a significant predictor of depression (p =<0.01) and reduced the explanatory variance of interpersonal trauma. This possibly indicates a mediating effect of experiential avoidance on the relationship between interpersonal trauma and depression. Recommendations for future research is to investigate this possible mediating role of experiential avoidance on the relation between interpersonal trauma and depression. The current findings suggest that treatments 5 targeting greater experiential acceptance, possibly through peer support groups, might help victims of interpersonal trauma.Show less
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...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
Psychotic experiences (PEs) occur in up to 30% of children, usually subsiding during adolescence. The presence of PEs alone can lead to mental distress; additionally its persistence can have grave...Show morePsychotic experiences (PEs) occur in up to 30% of children, usually subsiding during adolescence. The presence of PEs alone can lead to mental distress; additionally its persistence can have grave consequences for the child’s development. Neighborhood characteristics are a promising new frontier for research on the development of PEs in childhood and adolescence. The main aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between neighborhood social cohesion, living conditions, objective and perceived safety, and PEs at age 14. The secondary aim was to investigate the relationship of the aforementioned neighborhood factors with the trajectory of PEs from age 10 to 14. We ran a specificity analysis using depressive symptoms to evaluate whether the associations were indicative of a link with general psychopathology or specific psychotic spectrum outcomes. We used the Generation R cohort data on self-reported hallucinations and delusions, and the Wijkprofiel Rotterdam on social, safety, and physical characteristics of the neighborhood. In our multilevel logistic regression analysis, we found no evidence for an association of any neighborhood factors with PEs at age 14. There were trends demonstrating the potential association between living conditions and two outcomes: remission of PEs at age 14, and severe depressive symptoms. However, neither association survived multiple testing correction. We discuss the need for further research to ascertain whether the associations apply to general psychopathology or psychotic spectrum outcomes. Furthermore, we propose the need to clarify new potential associations of neighborhood factors with PEs.Show less
Background: Exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) can induce hyperactive inflammatory responses, which can persist into adult life. Elevated levels of inflammation markers can impair brain...Show moreBackground: Exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) can induce hyperactive inflammatory responses, which can persist into adult life. Elevated levels of inflammation markers can impair brain functioning and development, which can in turn increase the risk for psychopathology. Hence, inflammation might be one of the potential mechanisms explaining the link between CM and adult psychopathology. Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether inflammation might mediate the relationship between CM and internalizing psychopathology in adulthood. Additionally, the study aimed to determine whether this effect is specific to one or more subtypes of CM. Methods: A total of 116 adults participated in the study. CM was assessed using a combination of two questionnaires: the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-PC) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Participants’ saliva samples were analysed for three pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α). The Internalizing Problems subscale from the Adult Self Report (ASR) questionnaire was used to determine internalizing psychopathology. Parallel mediation analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses. Results: Experienced childhood abuse and neglect both significantly predicted internalizing symptoms in adulthood. However, the associations were not mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines. Conclusions: This study’s findings add to the extensive body of literature showing the longterm effects of CM on internalizing psychopathologies. Contrary to expectations, the mediation effect of inflammation in this relationship was not identified. As several methodological factors could have influenced the results, this outcome should not be considered as a firm disconfirmation of the mediation hypothesis. Further prospective studies addressing this question are warranted.Show less
