Heart Rate Variability Reactivity Moderates the Indirect Link Between Child Maltreatment and Young Adult Alcohol Use Problems Via Depressive Symptoms

Childhood maltreatment and substance use risk: A moderated mediation model of autonomic reactivity and distress tolerance

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The link between child maltreatment (CM) and substance use (SU) in young adulthood is established. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) division of the autonomic nervous system may mediate this link. However, less is known on the indirect link between CM and SU via SNS functioning. Due to individual variability in the link between SNS functioning and SU risk, we aimed to examine the moderating role of distress tolerance (DT).

METHODS

A longitudinal sample of 118 young adults (YAs) from a low socioeconomic status background were assessed twice (between 9 and 12 months apart). CM, DT, and galvanic skin response (GSR) stress reactivity were measured during the initial study visit, while SU was assessed at both timepoints. Stress reactivity was assessed by measuring the GSR reactivity during a stress task. We tested the indirect associations between CM and changes in SU problems via GSR stress reactivity, and the moderation effects of DT on these indirect associations. A mediation model in the structural equation modeling (SEM) framework was then followed by a moderated mediation model to analyze these data.

RESULTS

YA's stress reactivity mediated the association between CM and alcohol use problems, and this indirect effect was weaker among YAs who had higher levels of DT. This pattern did not emerge with drug use problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that intervention and prevention efforts for SU outcomes should consider incorporating strategies that increase at-risk individuals' levels of DT. Providing strategies to help individuals stem their stress reactivity may reduce their risk for alcohol use.

Childhood Maltreatment and Leukocyte Telomere Length: Cardiac Vagal Activity Influences the Relation in Older Adults

OBJECTIVE

Childhood maltreatment is associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL). However, the influence of cardiac vagal control on this relation is unknown. We examined whether cardiac vagal control at rest and in response to stress moderates or cross-sectionally mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and LTL.

METHODS

Participants were 1179 men and women (aged 65 [7.2] years) suffering from coronary artery disease or non-cardiovascular chronic disease. They completed a childhood maltreatment questionnaire and underwent a stress protocol while electrocardiogram was monitored. High-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) measures were obtained at rest, during stress, and after stress in absolute and normalized units (nu). LTL was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed.

RESULT

HF-HRV and HF-HRV in normalized units (HFnu) measures did not mediate the childhood maltreatment-LTL relation. However, baseline HFnu ( p = .027) and HFnu reactivity ( p = .051) moderated the relation. Specifically, maltreatment was associated with significantly lower LTL among those with baseline HFnu at ( b = -0.059, p = .003) or below the mean ( b = -0.103, p < .001), but not among those with higher baseline HFnu. It was also associated with significantly lower LTL among participants who showed either blunted ( b = -0.058, p = .004) or increased HFnu ( b = -0.099, p = .001) responses to stress but not in those with large decreases in HFnu.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood maltreatment was associated with lower LTL in those who showed a distinct cardiac vagal profile at baseline and in response to stress. The mechanisms and implications remain to be determined.

The Associations of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) With Substance Use in Young Adults: A Systematic Review

Introduction

Young adulthood is a transitional period between adolescence and adulthood. Due to the unique pressures of taking on a new social role and associated uncertainties, young adults are at heightened risk for drug and alcohol use. Furthermore, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increases the likelihood of using maladaptive coping strategies such as using substances to avoid or soothe negative emotions. The current review aimed to summarize the associations between exposure to ACEs before the age of 18 years and subsequent drug or alcohol use between the ages of 18 and 25 years.

Methods

The review was performed in accordance with the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The literature search of the Web of Science, PubMed, and PsycINFO databases was conducted in February 2022.

Results

The initial search yielded 7178 articles, with 777 duplicates. Consequently, 6401 titles were inspected for relevance. After reading the full text, 88 articles were included in the review.

Conclusion

This review provides clear evidence that exposure to multiple ACEs is a robust risk factor for the use of alcohol, cannabis and other drugs by young adults. Poor self-regulation and maladaptive coping strategies were identified as mechanisms explaining this link; however, further detailed research is needed.

Childhood trauma, intraindividual reaction time variability, baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and perceived relapse tendency among males with substance use disorders

Background: People with substance use disorders (SUDs) who have experienced serious childhood trauma may have executive function impairments contributing to relapse. Baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reflects physiological regulation capacity, which has been found to buffer the negative effects of childhood trauma. Baseline RSA has also been found to be related to intraindividual reaction time variability (IIRTV), which is an index of executive function.Objectives: The present study examined the relationship between childhood trauma and perceived relapse tendency, the mediation role of IIRTV, and the moderation role of baseline RSA.Methods: The study is cross-sectional, a total of 110 males with SUDs participated (Mage = 46.45 years, SD = 11.24). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Intention to Rehabilitate Questionnaire were used to assess childhood trauma and perceived relapse tendency, the two-choice oddball task was used to measure IIRTV, and electrocardiogram (ECG) data were collected to obtain baseline RSA.Results: IIRTV mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and perceived relapse tendency (Coeff = 0.049, Boot CI [0.004, 0.121]); interaction of childhood trauma and Baseline RSA negatively influences IIRTV (β = -0.208, t = -2.022, p = .046).Conclusion: The results suggest that males with SUDs who have experienced serious childhood trauma may have executive function impairments that contribute to relapse, and baseline RSA may buffer the negative effect of childhood trauma on IIRTV. These findings suggest that the prevention of relapse through cognitive enhancement can be complemented by the enhancement of physiological regulation.

The Role of the Rural Context in the Transition to Adulthood: A Scoping Review

Rural adolescents are transitioning to adulthood in the context of growing disparities. To advance research on the social, behavioral, and contextual factors that influence rural young adult development, this study conducted a scoping review. The review sought to identify how researchers defined rural and how/which theories guided their work; how they integrated the rural context into the research design and methods; and how they used variables, concepts, and outcomes to measure rural experiences. Included articles were published between January 2009 and November 2020, included young adults ages 18-29, measured adult role achievement and/or behavioral health outcomes and reported on these outcomes for young adults, and focused on a rural sample within the United States. A systematic search of four databases resulted in 25 empirical articles for the inductive, qualitative analysis. Most studies used atheoretical approaches focusing on outcomes related to adult social roles, substance use, and mental health. Five themes emerged focused on the definitions of rural, the level of integration into the research design and method, and variables salient to the rural experience. These results reveal that future research should clearly define the rural context and better integrate the rural context into the conceptualization, design, methods, and implications of the empirical research.