Individuals' marital instability mediates the association of their perceived childhood parental affection predicting adulthood depression across 18 years

Self-esteem mediates child abuse predicting adulthood anxiety, depression, and substance use symptoms 18 years later

According to biopsychosocial models, experiencing parental child abuse increases susceptibility to adulthood psychopathology. However, there is a paucity of studies examining potential mechanisms of the parental child abuse and adulthood psychopathology relationship. The purpose of the current study was to determine if Time 2 (T2) trait self-esteem mediated levels of Time 1 (T1) retrospectively recalled parental child abuse predicting (T3) past-year major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), and substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms. The 18-year Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study included participants (N = 3294; T1 average age of 45.62 years) assessed at three different time points, each spaced about nine years apart. We performed structural equation mediation modeling analyses to determine how maternal and paternal child abuse at T1 would independently predict T3 MDD, GAD, PD, AUD, and SUD symptoms. We also examined whether T2 self-esteem mediated these relations while controlling for adulthood T1 psychopathology symptoms, demographics, socioeconomic status, somatic symptoms, and parental psychopathology. Consistent with our hypotheses, higher T1 maternal and paternal abuse predicted increased T3 GAD, PD, AUD, and SUD symptoms via diminished T2 self-esteem as the mediator (% proportion mediated = 33.0-100). However, childhood paternal, but not maternal, abuse predicted adulthood MDD symptoms via reduced self-esteem. Findings remained after adjusting for covariates. Our research highlights the importance of understanding retrospectively recalled parental child abuse-adulthood psychopathology relations, their potential mechanisms, and self-esteem as a malleable treatment target for adults with heightened child abuse.

Daily stress reactivity and risk appraisal mediates childhood parental abuse predicting adulthood psychopathology severity: An 18-year longitudinal mediation analysis

Identifying mechanisms of childhood abuse-adulthood psychopathology relations could facilitate preventive efforts, but most prior studies used cross-sectional or two-wave designs and did not test the effects of childhood maternal and paternal abuse separately. Our 18-year three-wave study thus determined if Wave 2 daily stress reactivity and risk appraisal severity mediated Wave 1 retrospectively-reported childhood maternal and paternal abuse on Wave 3 generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), panic disorder (PD), alcohol (AUD), and substance use disorder (SUD) self-rated symptom severity. Longitudinal structural equation modeling was employed, adjusting for Wave 1 psychopathology severity. Higher childhood maternal and paternal abuse consistently predicted greater future daily stress reactivity and risk appraisal, and these mediators subsequently predicted increased GAD, MDD, and PD, but not AUD and SUD severity. Daily stress reactivity and risk appraisal consistently mediated the pathways between childhood maternal and paternal abuse predicting heightened adulthood GAD, MDD, and PD (Cohen's d = 0.333-0.888) but not AUD and SUD severity. Mediation effect sizes were stronger for childhood maternal (24.5-83.0%) than paternal (19.5-56.0%) abuse as the predictor. The latent interaction between Wave 1 childhood maternal and paternal abuse did not moderate the effect of Wave 1 maternal or paternal abuse on any Wave 3 adulthood psychopathology severity through Wave 2 daily stress reactivity and risk appraisal. Our research emphasizes the urgent requirement for continuous evaluation and intervention initiatives in trauma-informed care, both in inpatient and outpatient treatment settings.

Positive reappraisal coping mediates the relationship between parental abuse and lack of affection on adulthood generalized anxiety severity

Exposure to parental abuse and lack of parental affection during childhood are risk factors for adulthood psychopathology. Tendency to engage in positive reappraisal may be a plausible mechanism underlying this relationship. The current study examined if positive reappraisal coping mediated the relationship between maternal/paternal abuse/affection and adulthood generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms. Participant data (N = 3294) from the Midlife Development in the United States study was collected in three waves, spaced nine years apart. Longitudinal structural equation mediation modeling examined whether positive reappraisal coping at Time 2 mediated the relationship between maternal/paternal abuse/affection at Time 1 and GAD symptoms at Time 3, controlling for GAD symptoms at Time 1. Positive reappraisal coping mediated maternal/paternal childhood abuse - GAD symptom severity and maternal/paternal childhood affection - GAD severity relations. Maternal and paternal abuse was associated with lower positive reappraisal tendencies, predicting increased GAD symptom severity. Conversely, higher maternal/paternal affection was associated with increased positive reappraisal, predicting lower GAD severity. Incremental prediction revealed that childhood abuse to GAD severity via positive reappraisal path was significant for maternal but not paternal abuse, whereas affection from both parents remained significant. Positive reappraisal coping may be a possible mechanism linking childhood experiences to adulthood GAD severity.

Investigating associations between emotional and behavioral problems, self-esteem, and parental attachment among adolescents: A cross-sectional study in Indonesia

Background

Emotional and Behavioral Problems (EBPs) are prevalent among adolescents, and adolescents' capacity for adaptation can be influenced by their interactions with their parents, environment, and self-esteem. This link has not been systematically examined among adolescents in West Sumatra, Indonesia. This study aimed to assess the association of parental attachment and self-esteem with EBPs in adolescents.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to November 2022 in Padang West Sumatra, Indonesia. In total, 854 students from public senior high school 4 Padang were involved in this study and completed questionnaires on demographics, EBPs, parental attachment, and self-esteem. There was a total of five subscales for EBPs, which included emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems and prosocial. Additionally, there were three subscales for parental attachment, which included the mother's attachment, father's attachment, and peer attachment. Spearman's correlation, independent-sample t-tests, ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were employed to examine factors associated with EBPs.

Results

This study showed that father's attachment (r = -0.191, p < 0.001), mother's attachment (r = -0.241, p < 0.001), and self-esteem (r = -0.437, p < 0.001) were negatively correlated with EBPs. The linear regression analysis showed EBPs was associated with father's education, father's communication, father's alienation, mother's alienation, and self-esteem. All predictors of overall EBPs among adolescents were able to explain 31 % of the variance in EBPs.

Conclusion

High self-esteem and a strong parental attachment have positive outcomes in terms of mental health in adolescents. Thus, increasing adolescent self-esteem and establishing a warm parent attachment can be the main target in providing interventions for Indonesian adolescents with EBPs.

Focus on and venting of negative emotion mediates the 18-year bi-directional relations between major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder diagnoses

BACKGROUND

Myriad emotion regulation and coping theories have proposed that avoidant/emotion-oriented coping is a cause and consequence of anxiety and depression. However, few studies have investigated potential mechanisms underlying the prospective anxiety-depression disorder relation. The current study examined various coping strategies (i.e., denial, focus on and venting of emotion (FOAVE), and behavioral disengagement) as potential longitudinal mediators between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD).

METHODS

In a nationally representative sample of adults (N = 3,294), MDD and GAD were assessed at Time 1 (T1) and Time 3 (T3) (Composite International Diagnostic Interview - Short-Form), and avoidant coping strategies (denial, behavioral disengagement, and FOAVE) were measured at Time 2 (T2) (Coping Questionnaire). Assessments occurred over 18 years, each spaced approximately 9 years apart. Structural equation modeling mediation analyses examined whether T1 MDD predicted T3 GAD (and vice versa), and if T2 avoidant coping mediated these relations, above and beyond baseline comorbidity.

RESULTS

FOAVE mediated the T1 MDD-T3 GAD association, and vice versa. Presence of T1 MDD and GAD predicted more T2 FOAVE, and greater T2 FOAVE forecasted T3 MDD and GAD, accounting for 16-21% of the longitudinal MDD-GAD relations. However, behavioral disengagement and denial did not mediate the prospective MDD-GAD relations. Also, T1 MDD and GAD forecasted greater T2 behavioral disengagement.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of FOAVE, may be a mechanism by which MDD earlier in life may lead to GAD 18 years later, and vice versa. Theoretical and potential clinical implications are discussed.