The mediation effect of personality functioning between different types of child maltreatment and the development of depression/anxiety symptoms - A German representative study.
Anxiety
Child maltreatment
Depression
Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis (OPD)
Personality functioning
Journal
Journal of affective disorders
ISSN: 1573-2517
Titre abrégé: J Affect Disord
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 7906073
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
15 02 2022
15 02 2022
Historique:
received:
20
10
2021
revised:
08
12
2021
accepted:
10
12
2021
pubmed:
16
12
2021
medline:
27
1
2022
entrez:
15
12
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Child maltreatment (CM) is associated with an increased risk to develop symptoms of depression/anxiety across an individual's lifespan. Recent studies indicated that impairments in personality functioning might mediate this association. The purpose of this study is to add evidence of this mediating effect by regarding different types of CM (emotional, physical and sexual abuse as well as emotional and physical neglect) in the general population. A representative sample of the German population (N = 2,354) completed a set of standardized measures (OPD-SQS: Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis - Structure Questionnaire Short, PHQ-4: Patient Health Questionnaire, CTQ: Childhood Trauma Questionnaire). Mediation analyses were carried out to examine the association between CM types, symptoms of depression/anxiety, and personality functioning. Up to two-thirds of the associations between CM types and symptoms of depression/anxiety are mediated by personality functioning [indirect effect: emotional abuse (β = 0.219, 95%-CI: 0.187-0.251, p < .001), physical abuse (β = 0.151, 95%-CI: 0.123-0.178, p < .001), sexual abuse (β = 0.163, 95%-CI: 0.138-0.188, p < .001), emotional neglect (β = 0.131, 95%-CI: 0.104-0.159, p < .001) and physical neglect (β = 0.102, 95%-CI: 0.078-0.127, p < .001)]. Symptoms of depression/anxiety were measured with screening instruments and results are based on cross-sectional data. The present investigation expands the evidence on the mediating effect of personality functioning in the association between CM and depression/anxiety symptoms based on data of the general population. Our results show the relevance of types, as the mediating effects are slightly stronger in CM abuse types than in CM neglect types. Knowledge about impaired personality might be an angle for clinical interventions and inspire future research.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Child maltreatment (CM) is associated with an increased risk to develop symptoms of depression/anxiety across an individual's lifespan. Recent studies indicated that impairments in personality functioning might mediate this association. The purpose of this study is to add evidence of this mediating effect by regarding different types of CM (emotional, physical and sexual abuse as well as emotional and physical neglect) in the general population.
METHODS
A representative sample of the German population (N = 2,354) completed a set of standardized measures (OPD-SQS: Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis - Structure Questionnaire Short, PHQ-4: Patient Health Questionnaire, CTQ: Childhood Trauma Questionnaire). Mediation analyses were carried out to examine the association between CM types, symptoms of depression/anxiety, and personality functioning.
RESULTS
Up to two-thirds of the associations between CM types and symptoms of depression/anxiety are mediated by personality functioning [indirect effect: emotional abuse (β = 0.219, 95%-CI: 0.187-0.251, p < .001), physical abuse (β = 0.151, 95%-CI: 0.123-0.178, p < .001), sexual abuse (β = 0.163, 95%-CI: 0.138-0.188, p < .001), emotional neglect (β = 0.131, 95%-CI: 0.104-0.159, p < .001) and physical neglect (β = 0.102, 95%-CI: 0.078-0.127, p < .001)].
LIMITATIONS
Symptoms of depression/anxiety were measured with screening instruments and results are based on cross-sectional data.
CONCLUSIONS
The present investigation expands the evidence on the mediating effect of personality functioning in the association between CM and depression/anxiety symptoms based on data of the general population. Our results show the relevance of types, as the mediating effects are slightly stronger in CM abuse types than in CM neglect types. Knowledge about impaired personality might be an angle for clinical interventions and inspire future research.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34906643
pii: S0165-0327(21)01339-2
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.020
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
408-415Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.