Childhood trauma, alexithymia, and mental states recognition among individuals with alcohol use disorder and healthy controls.
Adult
Affective Symptoms
/ diagnosis
Alcoholism
/ diagnosis
Child
Child Abuse
/ psychology
Emotions
/ physiology
Female
Healthy Volunteers
/ psychology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Recognition, Psychology
/ physiology
Retrospective Studies
Self Report
Surveys and Questionnaires
Theory of Mind
/ physiology
Alcohol use disorder
Alexithymia
Childhood trauma
Emotional trauma
Mental states recognition
Journal
Drug and alcohol dependence
ISSN: 1879-0046
Titre abrégé: Drug Alcohol Depend
Pays: Ireland
ID NLM: 7513587
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 12 2020
01 12 2020
Historique:
received:
09
05
2020
revised:
14
09
2020
accepted:
14
09
2020
pubmed:
27
9
2020
medline:
13
4
2021
entrez:
26
9
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Although prior work indicates a link between childhood trauma, alexithymia, and mental states recognition, empirical support is limited. Moreover, findings based on adult samples are mixed. Previous studies demonstrate that childhood trauma might either enhance, preserve, or reduce mental states recognition in selected at-risk populations. The current study investigates whether alcohol use disorder (AUD) status moderates the association between childhood trauma, alexithymia, and mental states recognition in a treatment-seeking AUD sample and non-AUD healthy adults. Data comes from 255 individuals participating in an ongoing project that compares emotional and behavioral functioning of patients treated in an inpatient setting for AUD and a comparison sample of 172 healthy controls (HCs). Mental states recognition was measured using a computerized version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task (RMET). The presence of childhood trauma was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Alexithymia was measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Demographic information, as well as alcohol drinking and psychopathological symptoms were assessed. A moderated mediation model was estimated whereby alexithymia was included as a mediator in the association between childhood trauma and RMET performance, with AUD diagnosis status moderating the link between alexithymia and RMET performance. Findings provide support for moderated mediation. Childhood emotional trauma impacted negative mental states recognition performance via difficulty describing feelings, but only among HCs (p < 0.01). Findings highlight the impact that AUD status has on the association between early life emotional trauma and difficulty describing feelings on individual differences in mental states recognition.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Although prior work indicates a link between childhood trauma, alexithymia, and mental states recognition, empirical support is limited. Moreover, findings based on adult samples are mixed. Previous studies demonstrate that childhood trauma might either enhance, preserve, or reduce mental states recognition in selected at-risk populations. The current study investigates whether alcohol use disorder (AUD) status moderates the association between childhood trauma, alexithymia, and mental states recognition in a treatment-seeking AUD sample and non-AUD healthy adults.
METHODS
Data comes from 255 individuals participating in an ongoing project that compares emotional and behavioral functioning of patients treated in an inpatient setting for AUD and a comparison sample of 172 healthy controls (HCs). Mental states recognition was measured using a computerized version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task (RMET). The presence of childhood trauma was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Alexithymia was measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Demographic information, as well as alcohol drinking and psychopathological symptoms were assessed. A moderated mediation model was estimated whereby alexithymia was included as a mediator in the association between childhood trauma and RMET performance, with AUD diagnosis status moderating the link between alexithymia and RMET performance.
RESULTS
Findings provide support for moderated mediation. Childhood emotional trauma impacted negative mental states recognition performance via difficulty describing feelings, but only among HCs (p < 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
Findings highlight the impact that AUD status has on the association between early life emotional trauma and difficulty describing feelings on individual differences in mental states recognition.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32979738
pii: S0376-8716(20)30466-X
doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108301
pmc: PMC7736369
mid: NIHMS1643984
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Comparative Study
Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
108301Subventions
Organisme : NIAAA NIH HHS
ID : K08 AA023290
Pays : United States
Organisme : NIMHD NIH HHS
ID : U54 MD012393
Pays : United States
Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.