Journal
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
Volume 84, Issue -, Pages 119-127Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.09.004
Keywords
Sensitive periods; Depression; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Child maltreatment; Trauma
Categories
Funding
- National Institute of Mental Health within the National Institutes of Health [K01MH102403, MH102890]
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [HD071982]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background: Trauma exposure is a known risk factor for psychopathology. However, the impact of the developmental timing of exposure remains unclear. This study examined the effect of age at first trauma exposure on levels of adult depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Methods: Lifetime trauma exposure (including age at first exposure and frequency), current psychiatric symptoms, and sociodemographic information were collected during interviews with adults participating in a study at a public urban hospital in Atlanta, GA. Multiple linear regression models assessed the association between timing of first trauma exposure, classified as early childhood (ages 0-5), middle childhood (ages 6-10), adolescence (ages 11-18), and adulthood (ages 19+), on adult psychopathology in 2892 individuals. Results: Participants exposed to trauma (i.e., child maltreatment, other interpersonal violence, non interpersonal violence, and other events) at any age had higher depressive and PTSD symptoms compared to their unexposed peers. However, participants first exposed to child maltreatment during early childhood had depression and PTSD symptoms that were about twice as high as those exposed during later developmental stages. This association was detected even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, exposure to other trauma types, and frequency of exposure. Participants first exposed during middle childhood to other interpersonal violence also had depressive symptoms scores that were about twice as high as those first exposed during adulthood. Conclusions: Trauma exposure-at different ages may differentially impact depressive and PTSD symptoms in adulthood. More detailed examination of timing of trauma exposure is warranted to aid in identifying sensitive periods in development. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available