This study investigated the relationship between childhood trauma, emotion dysregulation, dissociative psychopathology, and aggression in adult female ADHD and BPD patients. The study aimed to...Show moreThis study investigated the relationship between childhood trauma, emotion dysregulation, dissociative psychopathology, and aggression in adult female ADHD and BPD patients. The study aimed to determine whether childhood maltreatment predicted aggression and if emotion dysregulation and dissociation mediated this relationship. Methods: The study included eighty-six women (n=29 patients with BPD, n=28 patients with ADHD; and n=29 healthy controls, HC) recruited from the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany. Childhood trauma was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), which assessed various forms of abuse and neglect. Aggression was measured using the Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), which assessed physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. Emotion dysregulation was assessed using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), which measured six dimensions of emotion regulation difficulties. Dissociation was measured using the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES), which assessed various aspects of dissociative psychopathology. Results: The results revealed that childhood maltreatment had a significant effect on aggression, mediated by emotion dysregulation but not dissociation. Furthermore, scores for aggression, emotion dysregulation, and dissociation were higher in the ADHD and BPD groups compared to healthy controls. These findings suggest a need for clinical emphasis on trauma-informed care and emotion regulation strategies. Additionally, the study highlighted the necessity of future research on gender differences in these relationships, providing an impetus for personalised treatment strategies. Conclusion: This study emphasises the crucial role of childhood trauma and emotion dysregulation in managing aggression in female ADHD and BPD patients.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
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BACKGROUND: Childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) has been identified as a considerable threat to adaptive child development. Emotion regulation is commonly impaired in victims of CEM, which can...Show moreBACKGROUND: Childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) has been identified as a considerable threat to adaptive child development. Emotion regulation is commonly impaired in victims of CEM, which can adversely impact broader socio-emotional functioning, such as the quality of child-parent interactions in adolescence. The current study examines to what extent maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (i.e., catastrophizing and rumination) mediate the association between experienced CEM and the quality of child-parent interactions as perceived by the adolescent. METHOD: The healthy control group of the larger RE-PAIR study (‘Unravelling the Impact of Emotional Maltreatment on the Developing Brain’) was included, incorporating adolescents (N = 80, age 11 to17) and their parents (N (Mothers) = 80, N (Fathers) = 76). Adolescent participants performed a reminiscence task with each parent and consecutively filled in a questionnaire to assess perceived parental interaction and communication behaviors during the task. CEM and emotion regulation were assessed through online versions of a Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and a Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. RESULTS: Two underlying factors were formulated after performing Principal Component Analyses (PCAs) on the perceived behavior per parent, namely ‘perceived general satisfaction with the interaction’ and ‘perceived criticism’. CEM did not predict either formulated outcome, for parents together and mothers separately. However, CEM had a negative effect on perceived general satisfaction, (F(1,64) = 6.175, b = -.502, p = .016) and a positive effect on perceived criticism, (F(1,64) = 6.612, b = .127, p = .012) by the adolescent during the interaction with their father. No mediation effects were found for either catastrophizing or rumination. DISCUSSION: Suggestions for future research include comparisons between different childhood maltreatment and to assess emotion dysregulation on multiple levels of functioning.Show less
