Depressive rumination and trait anxiety mediate the effects of childhood victimization on adulthood depressive symptoms in adult volunteers

BackgroundPrior studies have reported that childhood victimization experiences substantially augment the risk of depression and suicide in adulthood. Several of our previous studies suggested that childhood experiences of victimization interact with the quality of parenting experienced in childhood, childhood experiences of abuse, neuroticism, and other factors to influence depressive symptoms in adulthood. In this study, it was hypothesized that childhood victimization worsens trait anxiety and depressive rumination, and that trait anxiety and depressive rumination are mediators that worsen depressive symptoms in adulthood. Subjects and methodsThe following self-administered questionnaires were completed by 576 adult volunteers: Patient Health Questionnaire-9, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory form Y, Ruminative Responses Scale, and Childhood Victimization Rating Scale. Statistical analyses were performed by Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, t-test, multiple regression analysis, path analysis, and covariance structure analysis. ResultsPath analysis demonstrated that the direct effect was statistically significant for the paths from childhood victimization to trait anxiety, depressive rumination, and depressive symptom severity. Moreover, the indirect effect of childhood victimization on depressive rumination mediated by trait anxiety was statistically significant. The indirect effects of childhood victimization on depressive symptom severity mediated by trait anxiety and depressive rumination were statistically significant. Furthermore, the indirect effect of childhood victimization on depressive symptom severity mediated by both trait anxiety and depressive rumination was statistically significant. ConclusionsWe found that childhood victimization directly and adversely influenced each of the above factors, and indirectly worsened adulthood depressive symptoms with trait anxiety and depressive ruminations as mediating factors. The present study is the first to clarify these mediation effects. Therefore, the results of this study suggest the importance of preventing childhood victimization and the importance of identifying and addressing childhood victimization in patients with clinical depression.

Automated summary

This study found that childhood victimization directly influences adult trait anxiety, depressive rumination, and depressive symptom severity, and indirectly worsens depressive symptoms through trait anxiety and depressive rumination as mediators. These results highlight the importance of preventing and addressing childhood victimization to reduce the risk of clinical depression in adulthood.