Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, and Neglect and Childhood Behavior Problems: A Meta-Analysis of Studies in Mainland China

The Relationship Between Parent-Adolescent Relationships and Emotional Abuse

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between parent-adolescent relationships and emotional abuse.

METHOD

The research was conducted with 400 adolescents between 25.11.2023 and 25.03.2024. Adolescents in one school were included in the study by simple random sampling method. Data were collected with AMFRI and EAQ and a questionnaire regarding the demographic structure of adolescents. ANOVA, t-test and correlation analysis were used to analyze the data of the study.

RESULTS

The average score of the adolescents from the Emotional Abuse Questionnaire was 30.43 ± 23.11 and the total average score received from the Adolescent-Mother, Father Relationship Inventory was 126.22 ± 24.57 for their mothers and 133.38 ± 32.36 for their fathers. It was determined that there was a moderate negative relationship between EAQ and its sub-scales and AMFRI (mother) score averages. It was determined that there was a weak negative relationship between EAQ and its sub-scales and AMFRI (father) score averages.

CONCLUSION

Emotional abuse scores of adolescents were found to be high and parental relationships were evaluated as inadequate. Adolescents' experiences of emotional abuse and parental relationships were found to be related to each other.

Effects of Parental Childhood Maltreatment on Children's School Adaptation: An Intergenerational Perspective Based on Envy

Previous studies have examined the impact of maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) on children's school adaptation (SA), neglecting the role of fathers, and the joint influence of both parents. Based on family systems theory, this study explored the intergenerational impact of parental CM on children's SA and the mediating role of benign envy (BE) and malicious envy (ME). A total of 334 elementary school students' BE, ME, and SA statuses and their parents' CM, BE, and ME statuses were collected to construct the intergenerational transmission models of BE and ME for fathers, mothers, and parents, respectively. The results revealed that maltreated fathers or mothers individually exerted negative impacts on their children's SA, but when parents acted jointly, only fathers' CM intergenerational influence was significant. Mediation effects demonstrated that, individually, maltreated fathers indirectly affected children's SA through children's BE; maltreated mothers impacted children's SA through the "mothers' BE→children's BE" mediating chain; however, when taking combined parental action, only mothers' intergenerational transmission chain was significantly present. Identifying different intergenerational influence mechanisms of maltreated parents on offspring's school adaptation broadens our understanding of the diverse parenting roles of parents. That is, fathers foster their offspring's environmental adaptability through encouraging external exploration, while mothers enhance socialization by nurturing internal emotional development. Formulating strategies to address the emotional issues of maltreated parents, especially mothers, is crucial for mitigating the intergenerational consequences of maltreatment and enhancing the offspring's adaptability.

The impact of emotional abuse on Internet addiction in Chinese children: the sequential mediation roles of emotional dysregulation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy

Background

In China, emotional abuse and Internet addiction are increasingly prevalent among children, with significant negative effects on their development. Previous research has identified childhood emotional abuse as a major risk factor for Internet addiction in both adolescents and adults. However, the immediate impact of emotional abuse on children's Internet addiction within Chinese culture remains unclear.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the impact of emotional abuse on Internet addiction through emotional dysregulation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in Chinese children.

Methods

A sample of 556 fourth to sixth grade primary school students (girls, 46.6%) with an average age of 10.30 ± 0.93 years were recruited from a central province in China. Participants completed the paper-and-pencil survey on emotional abuse, emotional dysregulation, regulatory emotional self-efficacy, and Internet addiction. The hypothesized model was tested using Mplus 8.3 with 5,000 bootstrap samples.

Results

Emotional abuse positively predicts Internet addiction in children; emotional dysregulation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy mediate this relationship independently, and have chain-mediating effects in this relationship.

Conclusion

Emotional abuse impacts children's Internet addiction through the development of emotional regulation and self-perception of their abilities in emotional regulation. The findings offer potential strategies for preventing children's Internet addiction.

Impact of childhood maltreatment on adolescents' mental health- a longitudinal study based on dual-factor model

The dual-factor model (DFM) of mental health has received increasing support in recent years. However, researchers have limited knowledge regarding the longitudinal changes in the DFM of mental health. This study considered the dual-factor mental health among adolescents using latent profile analysis (LPA). It explored the impact of childhood maltreatment on mental health using latent transition analysis (LTA). The sample comprised adolescents who reported depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction. An interpretable LTA solution identified three classes: flourishing, moderately mentally healthy, and troubled. The flourishing class displayed the most stable mental health, followed by the moderately mentally healthy class. The troubled class was the least stable. In examining the effects of maltreatment experiences, we found that previous physical neglect was a risk factor for suboptimal mental health. The study's findings emphasize the importance of regular monitoring of adolescents' dual-factor mental health to inform mental health promotion.

Childhood maltreatment profiles and their associations with trajectories of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in Chinese early adolescents

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment is a risk factor for internalizing and externalizing symptoms in early adolescents. However, few studies have examined the associations between profiles of childhood maltreatment and trajectories of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in Chinese early adolescents.

OBJECTIVES

First, this study aimed to identify profiles of childhood maltreatment (i.e., physical abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect) using latent profile analysis (LPA). Second, this study aimed to elucidate the associations between the profiles and trajectories of the early adolescents' internalizing and externalizing symptoms using latent growth curve analysis (LGCM).

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The baseline sample included 1954 Chinese early adolescents (44.7 % girls) in Grade 4 with an average age of 11.39 years (SD = 0.56).

METHOD

Assessments were conducted on four occasions, six months apart. Childhood maltreatment was assessed at Time 1. Internalizing and externalizing symptoms were assessed from Time 1 to Time 4.

RESULTS

Three profiles for the early adolescents were identified: Low Childhood Maltreatment (n = 1446; 74.00 %), Moderately High Neglect and Low Abuse (n = 300; 15.35 %), and High Abuse and Moderately Low Neglect (n = 208; 10.65 %). The levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms were the highest for the students in the High Abuse and Moderately Low Neglect profile, followed by the students in the Moderate High Neglect and Low Abuse profile. However, the rate of decline in internalizing and externalizing symptoms over time was the fastest within the High Abuse and Moderate Low Neglect profile, followed by the Moderate High Neglect and Low Abuse profile.

CONCLUSION

This study contributes to the understanding of childhood maltreatment profiles among early adolescents in China and their impact on internalizing and externalizing symptoms, while also discussing the results from a specific cultural perspective.

Child maltreatment predicts bullying/victimization through personality solidification: A weekly diary study

BACKGROUND

Bullying among adolescents is a significant public health concern worldwide. While child maltreatment (CM) is a known risk factor, few studies explore whether abused adolescents become bullies or victims and how CM affects day-to-day bullying/victimization. Existing research often uses cross-sectional and longitudinal designs with long intervals, failing to capture the dynamic nature of adolescence and bullying behaviors.

OBJECTIVE

Based on personality solidification theory, the study used a weekly diary method to examine the relationship between adolescents' CM and weekly bullying/victimization, as well as the mediating mechanisms of the Big Five personality traits.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

452 students (167 girls, Mage = 12.90, SDage = 0.48) from a junior high school in southern China participated in a 7-week diary study.

METHODS

After participants finished all questionnaires, multilevel models were constructed to analyze weekly diary data.

RESULTS

The findings indicated that CM positively predicted adolescents' weekly bullying/victimization, both directly and indirectly, through personality traits. Specifically, CM predicted weekly bullying through openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism, while it also forecasted weekly victimization through neuroticism.

CONCLUSIONS

CM had long-term adverse effects on adolescents' day-to-day bullying and victimization through the solidification of personality, which may provide significant theoretical and empirical foundations for the prevention of bullying in schools.

Harsh parenting, amygdala functional connectivity changes across childhood, and behavioral problems

BACKGROUND

Harsh parenting in early childhood is related to offspring's adverse behavioral outcomes. Due to the scarcity of longitudinal neuroimaging data, few studies have explored the neurobiological underpinnings of this association, focusing on within-person variability. This study examined the temporal associations among harsh parenting, later behavioral problems, and the developmental trajectories of amygdala volume and amygdala resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) profiles, using longitudinal neuroimaging data.

METHODS

The study was embedded in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort. T1-weighted (296 children, 642 scans) and resting-state functional scans (256 children, 509 scans) were collected at ages 4.5, 6, 7.5, and 10.5 years. Amygdala volume and RSFC between the amygdala and six brain regions that have leading roles in emotional regulation were extracted. Harsh parenting at 4.5 years and child behavioral problems at 10.5 years were assessed via parent-report questionnaires. Linear regression and linear mixed models were applied.

RESULTS

Harsh parenting was associated with more severe externalizing problems in girls (β = 0.24, 95% CI 0.08-0.40) but not boys (pint = 0.07). In the overall sample, harsh parenting was associated with the developmental trajectories of amygdala-ACC, amygdala-OFC, and amygdala-DLPFC RSFC. In addition, the developmental trajectory of amygdala-ACC RSFC mediated the harsh parenting-externalizing problems association in girls (indirect effect = 0.06, 95% CI 0.01-0.14).

CONCLUSIONS

Harsh parenting in early childhood was associated with amygdala neurocircuitry development and behavioral problems. The developmental trajectory of amygdala-ACC RSFC is a potential neural mechanism linking harsh parenting and externalizing problems in girls.

Linkages between childhood emotional maltreatment and adulthood marital attitudes among rural first-generation college students in China: A latent profile analysis and multigroup comparisons

BACKGROUND

Although there is a wealth of evidence indicating the enduring consequences of childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) on social and relational functioning across life stages, little known about how CEM affects marital attitudes in emerging adulthood, particularly among rural first-generation college students (rural FGCS) at the critical stage of developing romantic relationships.

OBJECTIVE

To explore whether differential patterns of CEM existed among rural FGCS in China during emerging adulthood. Furthermore, the study aims to examine the potential differences in the chain mediating role of CEM on the pathway to adulthood marital attitudes across different CEM profiles.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Using a cluster sampling approach, a total of 3848 rural first-generation college freshmen (males = 39.2 %, mean age = 18.42 years) were recruited from three universities in China.

METHODS

Latent profile analysis was utilized to identify potential patterns of CEM using Mplus version 7.4. Structural equation modeling and multigroup comparisons were then performed to investigate the association between CEM and attitudes towards marriage in emerging adulthood, utilizing AMOS 24.0.

RESULTS

Three profiles of CEM was identified among rural FGCS: a low-CEM group (51.87 %), a moderate-CEM group (36.69 %), and a severe-CEM group (11.44 %). The association between CEM and adulthood marital attitudes was mediated by core self-evaluation and meaning in life. However, the mediation effects varied across the three CEM profiles. In the low-CEM group, core self-evaluation and meaning in life were observed to partially mediate the negative association between CEM and adulthood marital attitudes. On the other hand, in the moderate-CEM and severe-CEM groups, the relationship between CEM and adulthood marital attitudes was fully mediated by core self-evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS

The study's findings suggest that CEM is a significant predictor of marital attitudes among rural FGCS during emerging adulthood, with the severity of emotional neglect and abuse being the primary distinguishing factor between different CEM profiles. Core self-evaluation plays an important role in this relationship. Future clinical interventions could benefit from focusing on enhancing core self-evaluation and meaning in life, particularly for those with CEM experiences.

Depressive Symptoms in Later Life in China: Situating "Long Arm" of Child Physical Maltreatment Within a Family Context

Objective: This article intends to reveal the long-term effects of physical maltreatment in childhood on depressive symptoms in later life in China. Methods: Data were drawn from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). 8676 respondents aged 45 and older were included in the study. In this study, we use ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models to estimate the long-term impact on children of physical punishment from their parents. Results: We found that individuals who recalled being hit by their mother in early life reported more depressive symptoms than those who recalled being punished by their father. Difficult family contexts (e.g., comparative poverty, family violence, and parent's poor mental health) had a weak association with higher risk of reporting physical maltreatment and more depressive symptoms among respondents in later life. Conclusion: This article extended the exploration of the long-term impact of child physical maltreatment beyond adolescence and into until later adult life. Effective policies to protect children from maltreatment in the form of physical punishment require further attention to the challenges posed by tradition and culture.

Sex-specific joint trajectories of deviant peer affiliation and externalizing problems from middle childhood to early adolescence: the predictive role of family maltreatment

Previous research has shown a strong link between deviant peer affiliation (DPA) and externalizing problems (EXT) among children and adolescents. Little is known about how DPA and EXT develop jointly over time or possible sex differences in their development. This longitudinal study identified sex-specific joint trajectories of DPA and EXT from middle childhood to early adolescence and investigated the predictive role of family maltreatment experiences in joint trajectories of DPA and EXT. A total of 3622 Chinese elementary school students in grades 3 and 4 (Mage = 10, SD = 0.53; 46.5% girls) comprised the sample. Assessments were conducted every six months on five occasions across 2.5 years. Parallel process latent class growth modeling (PP-LCGM) was used to explore the joint trajectories of DPA and EXT for boys and girls separately. The PP-LCGM identified four trajectories for boys: "congruent-low" (78.2%), "congruent-high" (12.40%), "deviant peer affiliation increasing" (6.5%), and "congruent late increasing" (2.9%). Four trajectories were identified for girls: "congruent-low" (82.5%), "slowly increasing" (10.2%), and "deviant peer affiliation desisting" (5.6%), and "congruent late increasing" (1.7%). After controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), the results showed that compared to the congruent-low group, more severe family maltreatment predicted the high and high-start trajectories for boys. The findings highlighted the joint development of DPA and EXT and the sex differences associated with their development. Findings also shed light on the importance of sex in developmental responses to family maltreatment.

Gender differences in the associations between childhood adversity and psychopathology in the general population

PURPOSE

To explore gender differences of the associations between childhood adversity (CA) subtypes and psychiatric symptoms in the general population.

METHODS

Data of 791 participants were retrieved from a general population twin cohort. The Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire were used to assess overall psychopathology with nine symptom domains scores and total CA with exposure to five CA subtypes, respectively. The associations between CA and psychopathology were analyzed in men and women separately and were subsequently compared.

RESULTS

Total CA was associated with total SCL-90 and all symptom domains without significant gender differences. However, the analyses of CA subtypes showed that the association between emotional abuse and total SCL-90 was stronger in women compared to men [χ2(1) = 4.10, P = 0.043]. Sexual abuse was significantly associated with total SCL-90 in women, but emotional neglect and physical neglect were associated with total SCL-90 in men. Exploratory analyses of CA subtypes and SCL-90 subdomains confirmed the pattern of gender-specific associations. In women, emotional abuse was associated with all symptom domains, and sexual abuse was associated with all except phobic anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity. In men, emotional neglect was associated with depression, and physical neglect was associated with phobic anxiety, anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive, paranoid ideation, and hostility subdomains.

CONCLUSION

CA is a trans-syndromal risk factor regardless of gender. However, differential associations between CA subtypes and symptom manifestation might exist. Abuse might be particularly associated with psychopathology in women, whereas neglect might be associated with psychopathology in men.

Design and evaluation of child abuse web-based application for parent education & strengthen

BACKGROUND

Child abuse is one of the major health and social problems in the world and has severe short-term and long-term consequences on children's psychological, social and physical functioning. One of the effective strategies to control and prevent child abuse is training parent through web-based applications. The aim of this study is to design and evaluation of child abuse web-based application for parent education and strengthen.

METHODS

This study is an applied-developmental study that performed in Razi Educational and Therapeutic Center in Tabriz. The study consisted of three main phases. The requirements assessment and design phases were completed between November 2022 and February 2023. The research community was parents referring to Razi Center and convenience sampling was used to select the samples. In firststage, a questionnaire was designed by searching in library sources and consulting with specialists for needs assessment and application design. The questionnaire was completed by psychiatric specialists, health information management and health information technology.Finally, the usability of designed application was evaluated with the participation of 30 parents and specialists.

RESULTS

Based on the identified information elements and capabilities, a child abuse web-based application was designed. Application capabilities were such as concepts of child abuse, prevention and treatment strategies, parenting skills, childrens behavioral disorders, child abuse laws and interaction with clinical specialists. Finally, the result of the web-based application usability evaluation was evaluated at a good level equal to an average of 7.6 out of a total of 9 points.

CONCLUSIONS

The possibility of expressing experiences, exchanging message, attractiveness, ease of use, and accessibility of parents, they were designed as application features. The usability of the web-based application was satisfactory to users in various of overall functionality, display, terminology, learning ability and overall application capability.

Association of vitamin D-binding protein polymorphisms and serum 25(OH)D concentration varies among Chinese healthy infants of different VDR-FokI genotypes: A multi-centre cross-sectional study

Hypovitaminosis D during infancy is associated with the development of chronic diseases and poor health later in life. While the effect of environmental factors on vitamin D concentration has been extensively explored, this study aimed to explore the effect of genetic factors on vitamin D concentration among Chinese infants. We conducted a multi-centre cross-sectional study in Hong Kong from July 2019 to May 2021. A candidate genetic approach was adopted to study four selected genetic variants of the vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) (rs4588, rs7041, rs2282679 and rs2228570) to examine their associations with measured serum 25(OH)D concentration. A total of 378 Chinese infants aged 2-12 months were recruited in this study. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the infants to measure serum 25(OH)D concentration and extract DNA. Results showed that rs7041T and rs2282679C were significantly associated with lower serum 25(OH)D concentration. Further analysis of the DBP variants revealed that the GC1F allele was significantly associated with lower 25(OH)D concentration and identified as the risk DBP isoform in infants. While our results revealed that there is no direct association between VDR-FokI genotype and serum 25(OH)D concentration, a VDR-FokI genotype-specific pattern was observed in the association between DBP isoforms and serum 25(OH)D concentration. Specifically, significant associations were observed in the DBP genotypes GC1F/F, GC1F/2 and GC1S/2 among VDR-FokI TT/TC carriers, but not in VDR-FokI CC carriers. Our findings lay down the basis for the potential of genetic screening to identify high risk of hypovitaminosis D in Chinese infants.

Childhood emotional maltreatment and sensitivity to social rejection in emerging adults

BACKGROUND

Enhanced responsiveness to social rejection may be a transdiagnostic mechanism through which childhood emotional maltreatment predisposes individuals to interpersonal and mental health problems. To investigate this mechanism, as a first step, more detailed investigations are needed regarding the assumed association of childhood emotional maltreatment with rejection sensitivity in later life.

OBJECTIVE

The present work examines the hypothesis that among different subtypes of childhood maltreatment, in particular forms of emotional maltreatment (emotional abuse and neglect) relate to rejection sensitivity in emerging adults.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

In study 1, 311 emerging adults (18-25 years) participated in a retrospective cross-sectional assessment. In study 2, 78 emerging adults (18-25 years) were included in an experiment (O-Cam paradigm) which involved the experience of social rejection (vs. inclusion).

METHODS

Study 1 investigates whether intensities of childhood emotional abuse and neglect have unique associations with trait rejection sensitivity, when considering all maltreatment subtypes (emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect) simultaneously. Study 2 examined whether childhood emotional abuse and neglect moderate the experience of social rejection in terms of need depletion, sadness and anger after social rejection (vs. inclusion).

RESULTS

Study 1 indicates that emotional abuse and neglect have unique associations with rejection sensitivity. Study 2 results show that only a higher intensity of emotional abuse has extensive effects on need depletion and sadness after social rejection (vs. inclusion).

CONCLUSIONS

In particular, experiences of childhood emotional abuse may relate to rejection sensitivity in young adulthood.

Childhood maltreatment, emotion regulation difficulties/externalizing problems, and sleep problems in adolescents: Direct and indirect associations among developmental trajectories

BACKGROUND

The deleterious effects of childhood maltreatment, emotion regulation difficulties (ERD), and externalizing problems (EP) on sleep problems has been established. Nevertheless, there is still a need to gain a deeper understanding of the potential direct and indirect mechanisms through which these crucial risk factors influence adolescents' sleep problems, particularly with a developmental perspective. This study thus aimed to examine the direct and indirect associations among developmental trajectories of the focal variables in adolescents.

METHODS

A total of 1648 Chinese adolescents (48.12% boys; Mage = 13.69 years, SD = 0.82) completed self-report measures on 3 time points across 1 years. Latent growth curve modeling was used to examine the hypothesized models.

RESULTS

Both the developmental trajectory of childhood maltreatment and the developmental trajectory of ERD/EP were positively and directly related to the developmental trajectory of sleep problems; and the developmental trajectory of childhood maltreatment was indirectly related to the developmental trajectory of sleep problems through the mediating effect of the developmental trajectory of ERD/EP.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings elucidated the direct and indirect longitudinal associations among the focal variables, highlighting that interventions should target childhood maltreatment and ERD/EP to decrease sleep problems in adolescents with a developmental perspective.

Association between adverse childhood experiences and sleep quality, emotional and behavioral problems and academic achievement of children and adolescents

The impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on adult health has been extensively examined, but the association between ACEs and sleep, emotion, behavior and academic outcomes of children and adolescents is not well known. A total of 6363 primary and middle school students were included to examine the effect of ACEs on sleep quality, emotional and behavioral problems and academic achievement and further explore the mediation role of sleep quality and emotional and behavioral problems. Children and adolescents with ACE exposure had 1.37 times risk of poor sleep quality (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-1.55), 1.91 times risk of emotional and behavioral problems (adjusted OR = 1.91, 95%CI: 1.69-2.15) and 1.21 times risk of self-reported lower academic achievement (adjusted OR = 1.21, 95%CI: 1.08-1.36). Most types of ACEs were significantly associated with poor sleep quality, emotional and behavioral problems and lower academic achievement. There were dose-response relationships between cumulative ACE exposure and risk of poor sleep quality, emotional and behavioral problems, and lower academic achievement. Sleep quality and emotional and behavioral performance mediated 45.9% of the effect of ACEs exposure on math scores and 15.2% of the effect of ACEs exposure on English scores. Early detection and prevention of ACEs among children and adolescents are urgent and essential, and targeted interventions for sleep and emotional and behavioral performance as well as early educational interventions are recommended for children with ACEs exposure.

Emotional abuse and depressive symptoms among the adolescents: the mediation effect of social anxiety and the moderation effect of physical activity

Background

Childhood maltreatment has been identified as a risk factor for depressive symptoms. Social anxiety is closely associated with depression. Physical activity has been regarded as an underlying protective factor. Little is known about the complex relations among these factors in Chinese middle school students. This study aimed to explore whether social anxiety mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms and investigate whether physical activity moderated the indirect or direct effect of the mediation model.

Methods

A total of 1,570 middle school students were recruited and measured for childhood maltreatment (measured by Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form Chinese version), social anxiety (as the mediator, measured by the Chinese simplified version of Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents), depressive symptoms (measured by the Chinese version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21), physical activity (as the moderator), and covariates such as age, sex, and nationality. The proposed relationships were tested using mediation and moderated mediation models.

Results

Emotional abuse was directly associated with depression, and the association between emotional abuse and depression was partially mediated by social anxiety. The associations between emotional abuse with depression and with social anxiety were moderated by physical activity.

Conclusion

This study revealed the mediating role of social anxiety and the moderating role of physical activity between emotional abuse and depression, which emphasizes the potential benefits of sufficient physical activity to reduce social anxiety and depressive symptoms, and more intervention studies should be conducted to explore the direct influence of sufficient physical activity in the future.

Intergenerational effects of childhood maltreatment: The relationships among parental childhood emotional neglect, emotional expressiveness and children's problem behaviors

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment has a severe impact on both the health and parenting styles of abused individuals in adulthood, and it even has a negative impact on the offspring of abused individuals. Although studies have confirmed the intergenerational effects of childhood maltreatment, relatively few have emphasized emotional neglect and its mechanism of intergenerational effects. Additionally, few studies have examined the unique role of fathers and how mothers and fathers interact with one another.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to employ the actor-partner interdependence mediation model to investigate the relationship between parental childhood emotional neglect and children's problem behaviors, as well as whether parents' positive and negative emotional expressiveness plays a mediating role.

METHODS, PARTICIPANTS, AND SETTING

In total, 397 dyads of mothers and fathers of children aged 6-9 were recruited and reported their childhood emotional neglect experience and emotional expressiveness, and mothers also rated their children's problem behaviors.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that (a) maternal childhood emotional neglect was associated solely with mothers' own negative emotional expressiveness, followed by their children's problem behavior and (b) paternal childhood emotional neglect showed no effect on children's problem behavior through fathers' own or their spouses' positive and negative emotional expressiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study suggest that childhood emotional neglect has intergenerational effects and that mothers' parenting behaviors are relatively important in preventing adverse effects on their children.

Association between emotional abuse and depressive symptoms in Chinese children: The mediating role of emotion regulation

BACKGROUND

Emotional abuse has been identified as a risk factor for children's depressive symptoms. However, the specific psychological mechanisms mediating this relation are not well understood.

OBJECTIVE

This longitudinal study examined the relation of emotional abuse to subsequent depressive symptoms and the possible mediating role of emotion regulation among Chinese children.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The sample included 3633 children (45.5 % girls) with an average age of 9.96 years from a large city in southern China.

METHOD

Participants completed multiple measurements of emotional abuse, emotion regulation, and depressive symptoms on five occasions at six-month intervals, controlling for sex, age, and physical abuse and emotional neglect at Time 1. Latent growth curve modeling was applied to examine the longitudinal relations among the variables.

RESULTS

Results showed (a) emotional abuse was significantly positively associated with subsequent depressive symptoms; (b) cognitive reappraisal mediated the relation between emotional abuse and depressive symptoms, but expressive suppression did not.

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlighted the mediating role of cognitive reappraisal in the relation between emotional abuse and depressive symptoms, suggesting that intervention programs targeting cognitive reappraisal may be effective to reduce the likelihood of depressive symptoms among Chinese children.

Internalizing and externalizing problems mediate the relationship between maltreatment and self-harm among UK adolescents

BACKGROUND

Maltreatment is a significant predictive factor for self-harm in adolescents. Internalizing and externalizing problems are both common psychopathological issues in adolescents. This study aimed to look into the link between maltreatment and self-harm in a large sample of adolescents in the UK, as well as the mediating effects that internalizing and externalizing problems play in this link.

METHODS

Data were pulled from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, and a total of 8894 adolescents were included in this analysis. All variables were assessed by Questionnaires. Path analysis was performed to assess the mediating effects of internalizing and externalizing problems in the link between maltreatment and self-harm.

RESULTS

23.4 % of samples reported self-harm incidents during the preceding 12 months. Emotional abuse and physical abuse were significantly related to self-harm, and adolescents who had experienced multiple forms of maltreatment were more prone to self-harm. Mediation analysis revealed that internalizing problems were the primary mediator in the link between emotional abuse and self-harm, with the mediation effect size being 0.29. Internalizing and externalizing problems performed similarly in the link between physical abuse and self-harm, with mediation effect sizes of 0.23 and 0.19, respectively.

LIMITATIONS

The majority of the data was gathered through self-reporting.

CONCLUSIONS

Emotional abuse and physical abuse were significant predictors of self-harm, and their links with self-harm were partially mediated via internalizing and externalizing problems. Better supervision of maltreatment, and timely intervention for both internalizing and externalizing problems, are critical in preventing self-harm among adolescents.

Effects of Childhood Maltreatment on Self-Compassion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

This systematic review aims to estimate the extent to which childhood maltreatment influences self-compassion in later life.

METHOD

Four English databases (Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, and PsycARTICLES) and three Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and Weipu) were systematically searched. We extracted data related to the associations between child maltreatment and self-compassion and pooled them using random effect models.

FINDINGS

A total of 20 eligible studies were included involving 6,877 participants in the analyses. Overall child maltreatment was negatively related to self-compassion (r = -.28, p < .001); emotional abuse and neglect were negatively related to self-compassion (r = -.28, p < .01; r = -.31, p < .01, respectively) at a moderate level; and physical abuse, sexual abuse, and physical neglect were negatively related to self-compassion (r = -.12, p < .01; r = -.10, p < .01; and r = -.22, p < .001, respectively) at a small level.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that overall and subtypes of maltreatment are associated with decreased self-compassion, and child intervention programs focused on self-compassion should be designed to protect the well-being of individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment.

Child Abuse and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Chinese Migrant Adolescents: The Moderating Roles of Beliefs About Adversity and Family Socioeconomic Status

Although research has indicated the association between child abuse and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), few studies have examined their relationship in a particular sample of Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents who tend to experience parental abuse and engage in NSSI. More importantly, factors moderating the relationship between child abuse and migrant adolescents' NSSI have been understudied. To address this issue, this study aimed to examine whether beliefs about adversity and family socioeconomic status (SES) moderated the longitudinal relationship between child abuse and NSSI in a sample of Chinese migrant adolescents. 308 Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents (aged 10-14; 138 boys) completed the two-wave survey. Self-reported questionnaires regarding child abuse, NSSI, beliefs about adversity, and family SES were used. Results showed that child abuse was significantly positively related to NSSI a year later. Moreover, the interaction of child abuse, beliefs about adversity, and family SES was significant. Specifically, for migrant adolescents with low SES, positive beliefs about adversity played a protective role in the association between child abuse and NSSI; while for those with high SES, such beliefs showed vulnerability. Findings underscore the importance of considering multiple resilient factors simultaneously by examining beliefs about adversity and SES as the moderating mechanisms in the association between child abuse and NSSI. Findings also emphasize the significance of developing differential interventions targeting NSSI in abused Chinese migrant adolescents. Positive beliefs about adversity are important in buffering the negative effect of child abuse for migrant adolescents with low SES. For those with high SES, special attention should be given to the interactive impact of child abuse, beliefs about adversity, and family SES.

PTSD and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents exposed to multiple stressors from natural disasters, stressful life events, and maltreatment: A dose-response effect

Objectives

Little is known about the effects and the extent that childhood adversity has on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

Study design

A population-based, epidemiological study from the Wenchuan earthquake.

Methods

A total of 5,195 Wenchuan Earthquake adolescent survivors aged 11-18 years from nine high schools in southwest China completed questionnaires that assessed their PTSD and depression symptoms due to childhood maltreatment, stressful life events, and childhood earthquake exposure.

Results

The PTSD and depression prevalences were 7.1 and 32.4%. After controlling for age and gender, the multiple linear regressions revealed that stressful life events had the most significant direct effect on depression (β = 0.491), followed by childhood emotional abuse (β = 0.085), and earthquake exposure (β = 0.077). Similarly, stressful life events (β = 0.583) were found to have more significant direct effects on PSTD, followed by earthquake exposure (β = 0.140); however, childhood emotional abuse was not found to have an effect. The structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that there were interactions between the three childhood adversities, with all three concurrently affecting both PTSD and depression.

Conclusion

These findings add weight to the supposition that psychological maltreatment, negative life events, and earthquake exposure contribute to PTSD and depression. In particular, the identification of subgroups that have a high prevalence of these childhood adversities could assist professionals to target populations that are at high risk of mental health problems.

Childhood abuse, left-behind status and mental health among lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults in China

BACKGROUND

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults are at increased risk of mental distress in China. To better carry out psychological intervention, it is essential to understand unique patterns of mental distress and their association with childhood abuse/neglect, including experiencing being left behind by migrating parents.

OBJECTIVE

In a sample of Chinese LGB young adults, we examined: (1) associations between childhood abuse and left-behind status and mental distress; (2) latent profiles of mental distress; and (3) associations between childhood abuse and left-behind status and latent profiles of mental distress.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A sample of 630 Chinese LGB young adults aged 18-30 years was recruited to complete an online survey.

METHODS

Participants provided demographic information and completed validated measures of childhood abuse experience and mental distress. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify patterns of mental distress, and logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationships among these variables.

RESULTS

Results showed that all forms of childhood abuse and left-behind status were associated with all dimensions of adulthood mental distress. The LPA suggested a 3-group solution as optimal (no mental distress, mild mental distress, and moderate/severe mental distress). Participants who experienced any forms of childhood abuse were more likely to be members of both the mild mental distress and moderate/severe mental distress groups (all p's < 0.001). Also, participants who had left-behind status were more likely to be in the moderate/severe mental distress group (AOR = 1.61, p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the need for interventions aimed at addressing childhood abuse/neglect among Chinese LGB young adults, as these experiences increase the risk for mental health issues in adulthood.

Evidence of individual differences in the long-term social, psychological, and cognitive consequences of child maltreatment

BACKGROUND

The prevalence and consequences of child maltreatment are alarming, but evidence from studies with long follow-up intervals are limited. This study examined the long-term consequences of child maltreatment in relation to age of onset and follow-up interval.

METHODS

The exposed group comprised 63 individuals (aged 13-34 years) with a first-time diagnosis of child maltreatment between 2001 and 2010, whereas the unexposed group comprised 63 individuals who were matched upon gender, age of onset, follow-up period, and poverty status at the index hospital admission but had no medical records of maltreatment in Hong Kong. The participants completed a set of questionnaires on executive functions and mental health and provided blood samples for measurement of IL-6 and IL-10 levels during a health assessment session.

RESULTS

Compared with the unexposed group, the exposed group reported poorer maternal care during childhood (β = -4.64, p < 0.001) and had lower family support (β = -2.97, p = 0.010) and higher inflammatory responses (IL-6: β = 0.15, p = 0.001; IL-10: β = 0.11, p = 0.011) at follow-up. Additionally, the associations of childhood maltreatment exposure with family support and maternal care differed by age of onset and the length of time since exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

This matched cohort study highlights childhood maltreatment as a risk factor for systemic inflammation and an indicator of suboptimal social environment, both of which could persist over a long period of time.

Profiles of family maltreatment and peer victimization: Associations with psychosocial adjustment in Chinese children

BACKGROUND

Although the family and peer systems are both important for children's development, few studies have simultaneously considered the impact of adversity experienced in these systems on children.

OBJECTIVE

The first purpose of this study was using latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify profiles of family maltreatment (i.e., physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect) and peer victimization (i.e., physical victimization and relational victimization) among Chinese elementary school children. The second purpose was to examine associations between the identified profiles and short-term psychosocial adjustment (i.e., self-esteem, depression symptoms, prosocial behavior, and externalizing behavior).

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The sample included 4313 children (45.6 % girls) with an average age of 10.9 years (SD = 0.49) from a large city in China.

METHOD

Assessments were conducted on two occasions six months apart. Family maltreatment and peer victimization were assessed at Time 1. Psychosocial adjustment was assessed at Time 2.

RESULTS

The potential complexity of children's adversity experiences was revealed in that six profiles of family maltreatment and peer victimization in children were identified: (a) Low-risk; (b) Slight peer victimization; (c) Severe peer victimization; (d) Serious neglect; (e) Severe maltreatment; (f) Doubly disadvantaged. Children in the low-risk profile showed the best psychosocial adjustment whereas children in the doubly disadvantaged profile showed the worst psychosocial adjustment. The findings revealed additional differences in the subsequent psychosocial adjustment of the children in the six profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of multiple profiles and differing relations to psychosocial adjustment implies that interventions should be tailored to members of specific profiles.

Associations Between Adolescent Problematic Internet Use and Relationship Problems in Chinese Families: Findings from a Large-scale Survey

BACKGROUND

Problematic internet use (PIU) is prevalent among Chinese adolescents. There is a need to better understand how the quality of parent-adolescent relationship is associated with adolescent PIU to guide the development of effective prevention and early intervention programs.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate parent-adolescent conflict and parenting styles as potential risk factors associated with adolescent PIU.

METHODS

A sample of 6552 students (aged 10-19 years) from 22 schools in Guangdong, China, was recruited. The participants completed self-report questionnaires measuring their perceptions of conflict with their parents (involving verbal conflict, emotional abuse, and physical abuse) as well as their perceptions of their parents' parenting styles (including parental care and parental control as measured by the Parental Bonding Inventory), and PIU using the Adolescent Pathological Internet Use Scale. Grade level and gender were examined as moderators of these associations.

RESULTS

Using multiple regression analyses, we found that greater mother-adolescent conflict, father-adolescent conflict, and parental control, and lower levels of parental care, were associated with higher levels of adolescent PIU (P<.001). The association between mother-adolescent conflict and PIU was stronger in older students than in younger students (P=.04), whereas the association between father-adolescent conflict and PIU was stronger in male students than in female students (P=.02). Compared with those who reported no mother-adolescent conflict, participants who experienced verbal conflict and emotional abuse, but not physical abuse from their mothers, reported higher levels of PIU (P<.001). Compared with those who reported no father-adolescent conflict, participants who experienced verbal conflict, emotional abuse, and physical abuse from their fathers had significantly higher levels of PIU (P<.001, P<.001, and P=.02, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings point to the value of interventions to reduce parental verbal conflict, emotional abuse, and physical abuse, and to increase positive parenting styles, to lower the risk of PIU in Chinese adolescents.

Resilience and Self-Esteem Mediated Associations between Childhood Emotional Maltreatment and Aggression in Chinese College Students

Although associations between physical or sexual abuse and aggression have been mainly explored, relationships and pathways between childhood emotional maltreatment and aggression need further exploration, particularly in the Chinese cultural context. This study aimed to explore the associations between childhood emotional maltreatment and aggression and to examine the mediating effects of resilience and self-esteem on those associations. Data were obtained from a convenience sampling of 809 (aged 17−23) college students from three Chinese universities in December 2021, which was approved by the ethics committee of Beijing Normal University, China. All participants completed measures of childhood emotional maltreatment, aggression, resilience, and self-esteem. The results showed that childhood emotional maltreatment was positively associated with aggression (r = 0.41, p < 0.01), and it was negatively associated with resilience (r = −0.56, p < 0.01) and self-esteem (r = −0.10, p < 0.01). Regarding the mediation processes, resilience and self-esteem partially mediated the relationships between childhood emotional maltreatment and aggression. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing levels of resilience and self-esteem in interventions designed to reduce aggression of college students who were emotionally maltreated in childhood.

The role of family and peer factors in the development of early adolescent depressive symptoms: A latent class growth analysis

Few studies have explored the trajectories of Chinese early adolescent depressive symptoms or comprehensively considered the factors of family and peers. The present study aimed to identify the trajectories of depressive symptoms in early adolescence using a school-based sample assessed in three waves. The study also examined whether family and peer factors were significant predictors. A total of 586 Chinese primary and middle school students participated in the survey. A growth mixture model was used to find the trajectories of depressive symptoms, and multinominal logistic regression was used to identify the predictors. Three trajectories were identified, including a stable-low class, an increasing class, and a high-decreasing class. Results indicated that gender, parental psychological aggression and neglect, parental psychological control, traditional bullying/cyberbullying victimization, and friendship quality were significant predictors. However, witnessing intimate partner violence, parental behavior control, and traditional bullying/cyberbullying perpetration could not significantly predict the trajectories. The findings of this study can provide an empirical basis for teachers and clinical interveners to determine different development trajectories of depressive symptoms and carry out prevention and intervention.

How do physical and emotional abuse affect depression and problematic behaviors in adolescents? The roles of emotional regulation and anger

BACKGROUND

Rates of physical and emotional abuse are high among Chinese adolescents and elicit distinct psychopathologies. However, it remains unclear whether physical and emotional abuse relate to depression and behavior problems similarly or differently. In addition, few studies have examined if they share underlying mechanisms in adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

This study used longitudinal data to examine the mechanisms underlying the effect of physical and emotional abuse on depression and problematic behaviors through emotional regulation and anger in Chinese adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

Participants were 1689 adolescents (with age ranging from 12 to 17 years) from junior and senior high schools in Zhejiang Province, China.

METHODS

Participants completed a childhood trauma questionnaire and an emotion regulation strategies questionnaire at time 1 (T1), and they completed an anger scale, a depression scale, and a problematic behaviors questionnaire one year later (T2). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the research hypotheses.

RESULTS

Physical abuse had direct positive effects on problematic behaviors but not on depression. However, emotional abuse had direct effects on depression and problematic behaviors, and indirect effects on both psychopathologies through expressive suppression and anger.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical and emotional abuse had distinct effects and influencing mechanisms on adolescents' externalizing and internalizing problems. Compared with physical abuse, emotional abuse elicited more harms and subsequent psychopathologies.

Character strengths as protective factors against behavior problems in early adolescent

Character strengths could effectively prevent negative psychological outcomes in adults. However, there was little research conducted among early adolescents. The present study aimed to explore character strengths that were independently related to fewer behavior problems in early adolescents. In total, 521 early adolescents (mean age 10.92 ± 0.04, range 10-12 years) were recruited from primary schools in Sichuan, China. Character strengths were measured using the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth (VIA-Youth). Behavior problems were measured using the Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire (PSQ). The results showed that behavior problems were negatively correlated with character strengths (r = -0.14 to -0.3, p < 0.05 Bonferroni corrected). Character strengths explained a significant proportion of additional variance (14-22%) in five types of behavior problems after controlling the effect of demographic factors (residence, left-behind experiences, maternal education level). Moreover, several specific character strengths showed an independent contribution (β = -0.34 to -0.14 for self-regulation, perseverance, zest, humility, and leadership; β = 0.21 to 0.34, for hope; all p < 0.05) to behavior problems. Our study revealed that character strengths were protective factors against behavior problems in early adolescents.

Anxiety and depression related to childhood maltreatment in teenagers: Comparing multiple individual risk model, cumulative risk model and latent profile analysis

BACKGROUND

Few studies have employed person-centered approaches (i.e. latent profile analysis in this study) to investigate the specific patterns of childhood maltreatment in a large sample of Chinese adolescents, and little is known about the predictive validity of latent profile analysis on internalizing problems, compared with multiple individual risk model and cumulative risk model.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether differential patterns of maltreatment existed by employing latent profile analysis with a sample of 9071 Chinese adolescents, and further examined the predictive validity of latent profile analysis on internalizing problems, relative to the cumulative risk and multiple individual risk model.

PARTICIPANTS

Using a stratified sampling approach, 10,515 participants (Mean age = 14.24; SD = 1.73) were chosen from three different types of middle schools in Chongqing city, China. 9071 valid responses (males = 4775; females = 4296) were obtained for final analysis.

METHODS

Participants reported their childhood maltreatment experience, anxiety and depression symptoms. Latent profile analysis was used to obtain possible patterns of maltreatment with Mplus version 7. 4. Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars (BCH) method was used to test the association between maltreatment patterns and anxiety and depression symptoms. Relative weight analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to test the predictive validity of latent profile analysis, multiple individual risk and cumulative risk model.

RESULTS

Using latent profile analysis, two patterns of childhood maltreatment were uncovered ("No Maltreatment" and "Multiple Maltreatment"). Further analysis showed that multiple individual risk model accounted for the largest variance in anxiety (R² = 26.7%) and depression (R² = 33%), followed by the latent profile analysis (R² = 14.7% for anxiety and 18.6% for depression) and the cumulative risk model (R² = 12.9% for anxiety and 15.2% for depression).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested that the multiple individual risk model is the optimal model for identifying adolescents at the risk of developing anxiety and depression symptoms, and the results suggested emotional abuse and emotional neglect are risk factors for higher levels of anxiety and depression among adolescents.

The association between child maltreatment and sleep disturbances among preschoolers

BACKGROUND

Child maltreatment (CM) can result in lifelong detrimental consequences, but its association with sleep disturbances in young children remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the association of CM with sleep disturbances and short sleep duration among Chinese preschoolers.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data were from a representative sample of 17,023 children (6.17 ± 0.29 years old, 51.96% boys) at their graduation year of preschool in September 2019, as a subset of the Shanghai Children's Health, Education and Lifestyle Evaluation-Preschool (SCHEDULE-P) study.

METHODS

Parents reported children's CM of different types and the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the risk of sleep disturbances and short sleep duration linked to CM.

RESULTS

Of the children, 12,583(73.92%) demonstrated sleep disturbances (CSHQ total score > 41) and 3017(17.72%) demonstrated short sleep duration (<9 h/night). After adjusting covariates, physical abuse (aOR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.05-1.28) and emotional abuse (aOR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.39-1.62) were associated with global sleep disturbances. Physical abuse (aOR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.06-1.28), physical neglect (aOR = 1.29, 95%CI = 1.12-1.49), and emotional abuse (aOR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.09-1.30) were associated with short sleep duration. Sexual abuse was not significantly associated with global sleep disturbances or short sleep duration. A cumulative association was noted that more CM types were associated with increased global sleep disturbances and short sleep duration.

CONCLUSIONS

CM is associated with sleep disturbances and short sleep duration in young children. This highlights the efforts to prevent and reduce CM in favor of optimal sleep and whole health in young children.

Childhood Environmental Instability and Social-Emotional Outcomes in Emerging Adults

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can negatively affect social-emotional functioning. The association between individual and cumulative ACEs and social-emotional domains of self-esteem, loneliness, and negotiation in intimate partner relationships has not been explored in low-risk emerging adults, a gap this study aims to fill. An online survey was administered to undergraduate emerging adults, ages 18 to 25 years (M_age = 19.73, SD = 1.83; N = 436; 20.60% Hispanic; 63.80% female). The ACEs Survey, Child Abuse Potential Inventory, and Conflict Tactics Scale-2nd Edition were used. Three multivariate ordinary least squares regressions were run, each including predictors significant in bivariate analyses and outcomes of self-esteem, loneliness, and negotiation for each regression. Emotional abuse, B = -.20, p < .01; emotional neglect, B = -.21, p < .001; and substance using family member, B = -.12, p < .05, were negatively associated with self-esteem; emotional neglect, B = .11, p < .01, and cumulative ACEs, B = .16, p < .01, were positively associated with loneliness; and incarcerated family member was positively associated with negotiation, B = .12, p < .05. Overall, these findings suggest that individual ACEs associated with environmental instability (e.g., emotional abuse) are strong predictors of social-emotional outcomes, relative to ACEs associated with more direct physical harm (e.g., sexual abuse).

Psychological Abuse and Social Support in Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Effect of Self-Esteem

Although previous studies have explored relationships between psychological abuse and social support, the pathways from psychological abuse to social support are still unclear, particularly in Chinese adolescents. This cross-sectional study attempts to delineate the prevalence of psychological abuse and explore the relationships between psychological abuse, social support, and self-esteem under the Chinese cultural context. Data were obtained from 417 Chinese adolescents aged 15-18 years old. All of them completed the Child Psychological Abuse and Neglect Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Results indicated that the prevalence of psychological abuse in Chinese adolescents was 25.66%, and psychological abuse was negatively associated with self-esteem and social support, respectively. Self-esteem partially mediated the relationships between psychological abuse and social support. Findings highlight the importance of improving self-esteem in survivors of psychological abuse for decreasing the negative effects on social support. Additionally, the significance and limitations of the results were discussed.

Child Maltreatment and Mental Health in Middle Childhood: A Longitudinal Study in Japan

Toxic stress caused by child maltreatment can lead to adverse mental health outcomes in later life, yet unmeasured confounding has been a major issue in many previous studies. To examine the association between child maltreatment and resilience and behavior problems among early elementary school-age children, we used data from a population-based longitudinal survey targeting all first-grade children in 2015 in Adachi City, a ward in Tokyo, Japan. Children whose caregivers provided valid responses during the 2015 (first grade; ages 6-7 years), 2016 (second grade; ages 7-8 years), and 2018 (fourth grade; ages 9-10 years) waves of the study were included in the analysis (n = 2,920). Fixed-effects regression models revealed that child maltreatment was inversely associated with resilience (β = -0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.05, -0.72) and prosocial behavior (β = -0.03, 95% CI: -0.05, -0.003) and positively associated with behavior problems (β = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.37) over 4 years of follow-up (2015-2018), after controlling for all time-invariant confounders and measured time-varying confounders and survey year. These associations were consistent across sex. Child maltreatment may hamper the development of resilience and prosocial behavior and induce behavior problems in early elementary school children over time. Future researchers should identify modifiable protective factors for better mental health among maltreated children.

Familism and HIV Risk Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Taiwan: The Mediating Roles of Stressful Life Events and Coping Strategies

Familism may play an important role in HIV risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) living in a collectivist culture. This study examined a hypothesized path from familism, stressful life events (i.e., adverse childhood experiences, intimate partner violence, and sexuality-related discriminatory experiences), and coping strategies to condomless anal sex (CAS) among Taiwanese MSM. Participants were 1,000 MSM (mean age = 28.5 years) recruited through five community-based organizations. Structural equation modeling using bootstrapping with 3,000 iterations evaluated the mediating effects of 14 coping strategies. We found a pathway from familism to CAS through stressful life events and substance use coping. The protective effects of familism on stressful life events and CAS suggest that integrating components of family support and family connection into HIV prevention and education programs may increase the effectiveness of these programs in reducing HIV risk behaviors and dysfunctional coping strategies among MSM in Taiwan.

P300 Event-Related Potentials Mediate the Relationship Between Child Physical Abuse and Externalizing Behavior

The psychophysiological mechanism linking early childhood experiences to behavior problems remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association of child physical abuse with P300 event-related potentials (ERP), and to test the mediating effect of P300 amplitude and latency in the relationship between child physical abuse and externalizing behaviors. Cross-sectional secondary data were obtained from 155 children (55.5% boys, mean age: 11.28 ± 0.57 years) who participated in the China Jintan Child Cohort Study. Children self-reported maternal and paternal physical abuse and externalizing behaviors, as well as P300 were obtained in 2013. Additionally, parents and teachers reported child externalizing behaviors in preschool in 2007. P300 were recorded during a standard novel auditory oddball task. Path analysis shows that after controlling for child sex, socioeconomic status, area of residence, IQ, and child externalizing behavior in preschool, children exposed to maternal physical abuse exhibited increased novelty P300 amplitude, which links to more externalizing behavior. Novelty P300 amplitude partially mediated the relationship between maternal physical abuse and externalizing behavior. These findings are the first to document the partial mediating effect of P300 amplitude on the abuse-externalizing relationship and are consistent with the view that physical abuse affects the attention bias to novel cues that likely places them at increased risk for the development and maintenance of externalizing behavior.

The association of child neglect with lifestyles, depression, and self-esteem: Cross-lagged analyses in Chinese primary schoolchildren

Child neglect robustly predicts many behavioral problems and adulthood mental disorders, but little is known about its association with daily lifestyles and psychological development during childhood, particularly in the longitudinal study. We aimed to examine the association of child neglect with physical activity (PA), screen time (ST), eating habits (EHs), and depression/self-esteem using a two-wave follow-up study of primary schoolchildren in Wuhan, China. Data of 1085 schoolchildren aged 8-10 years (boys: 53.5%) were analyzed. Child neglect, lifestyles, and depression/self-esteem were collected in 2018 (T1) and 2019 (T2). Autoregressive cross-lagged models (ARCLMs) were fitted to explore the interrelationships among these variables. In ARCLM including child neglect and lifestyles, higher child neglect at T1 was significantly associated with higher ST and more risky EHs at T2, while insignificantly associated with PA. In ARCLM including child neglect and depression/self-esteem, lower T1 child neglect significantly predicted a higher T2 depression, but insignificantly for T2 self-esteem. In ARCLM including all variables, child neglect still significantly predicted later ST and depression, but insignificantly predicted EHs. Our study underscores that child neglect is strongly intertwined with ST, EHs, and depression during childhood. The prevention of child neglect may promote some healthy lifestyles and depression in children.

Prevalence of Child Maltreatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Survey of Rural Hubei, China

The impact of lockdown measures in Wuhan, China during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on child maltreatment remains unknown. The present study attempted to estimate the prevalence of child maltreatment during this period, to identify risk factors, and the influence of child maltreatment. A representative sample of 1,062 school-aged children in rural Hubei province was surveyed. Results indicated that the prevalence of family violence, physical violence, emotional abuse and neglect during the lockdown period were 13.9, 13.7, 20.2 and 7.3 percent, respectively, and that of lifetime prevalence were 17.0, 13.9, 14.6 and 6.9 percent, respectively. And most victims did not seek official help. Boys were more likely to experience physical violence. Children from separated/divorced families tended to report more emotional abuse. Those having family members with a history of drug abuse and mental illness were more likely to experience neglect during the lockdown period. All types of child maltreatment were positively associated with self-harm behaviours. These findings highlight the importance of identifying at-risk children immediately and implementing timely intervention programmes to prevent self-harm behaviours for social workers and health professionals.

Developmental Trauma Disorder: A Legacy of Attachment Trauma in Victimized Children

Developmental trauma disorder (DTD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been found to have both shared and unique traumatic antecedents. The present study was an independent replication, with the DTD Structured Interview and the Traumatic Events Screening Instrument administered to 271 children in mental health treatment in six U.S. sites. On an unadjusted basis, DTD (27.3% prevalence, N = 74) and PTSD (40.2% prevalence, N = 109) both were associated with traumatic physical assault or abuse, family violence, emotional abuse, caregiver separation or impairment, and polyvictimization. After controlling for PTSD, DTD was associated emotional abuse, OR = 2.9, 95% CI [1.19, 6.95], and traumatic separation from a primary caregiver, OR = 2.2, 95% CI [1.04. 4.60], both of which also were associated with caregiver impairment, physical assault/abuse, and witnessing family/community violence. Three traumatic antecedents associated with PTSD were not associated with DTD: noninterpersonal trauma, sexual trauma, and traumatic loss. Children exposed to both traumatic victimization and attachment trauma (36.2%) or attachment trauma alone (32.5%) were more likely than children exposed only to victimization (17.5%) or those with no history of victimization or attachment trauma (8.1%) to meet the symptom criteria for DTD, χ²(3, N = 271) = 17.68, p < .001. Study findings replicate and extend prior DTD field trial study results, showing that, although PTSD and DTD share traumatic antecedents, DTD is uniquely associated with traumatic emotional abuse and caregiver separation. Further research is needed to examine how specific trauma types contribute to the risk, course, and severity of DTD.

Child maltreatment and protective assets in the development of internalising and externalising problems: A study of youth offenders

INTRODUCTION

An emerging trend in child maltreatment research focuses on identifying protective assets that contribute to youth resilience. Extending the trend, this study examines not just whether but also how protective assets in various domains (e.g., the individual, family, and schools) are associated with internalising and externalising problems among youth offenders, which is a population that typically reports a high prevalence of child maltreatment experiences.

METHODS

This study used the baseline data of 790 youth offenders (85% male) aged between 12 and 19 years old from the EPYC project, a national longitudinal study in Singapore. Structural equation modelling was conducted to test the direct effects and interactive effects of protective assets and child maltreatment on internalising and externalising problems.

RESULTS

For direct effects, maltreated youth offenders reported higher levels of internalising and externalising problems than their non-maltreated counterparts. Higher levels of peer assets were directly related to lower levels of externalising, but not internalising problems. For interactive effects, overall protective assets, school/work assets and internal assets had significant buffering effects against physical/emotional abuse on externalising problems, whereas peer assets showed significant buffering effects against sexual abuse on internalising problems.

CONCLUSION

An overall level of protective assets, as well as assets from specific domains (peer, school/work, and internal assets) could provide protective effects on problematic behaviours among youth offenders. Interventions seeking to address youth internalising and externalising problems should focus on reducing child maltreatment incidence and enhancing protective assets within these domains.

Complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder

BACKGROUND

This article builds on a previous review (Ford and Courtois, Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul 1:9, 2014) which concluded that complex posttraumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) could not be conceptualized as a sub-type of either PTSD or BPD. Recent research is reviewed that extends and clarifies the still nascent understanding of the relationship between cPTSD and BPD.

MAIN BODY

The circumscribed formulation of adult cPTSD that has been developed, validated, and included in the 11th Edition of the International Classification of Diseases has spurred research aimed at differentiating cPTSD and BPD both descriptively and empirically. A newly validated Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) syndrome for children and adolescents provides a basis for systematic research on the developmental course and origins of adult cPTSD and BPD. This review summarizes recent empirical findings regarding BPD, PTSD, and cPTSD in terms of: (1) prevalence and comorbidity; (2) clinical phenomenology; (3) traumatic antecedents; (4) psychobiology; (5) emotion dysregulation; (6) dissociation; and (7) empirically supported approaches to clinical assessment and psychotherapeutic treatment.

CONCLUSION

The evidence suggests that PTSD, cPTSD, and BPD are potentially comorbid but distinct syndromes. A hypothesis is advanced to stimulate scientific research and clinical innovation defining and differentiating the disorders, positing that they may represent a continuum paralleling the classic conceptualization of the stress response, with dissociation potentially involved in each disorder.

Specific effects of neglect and physical abuse on adolescent aggressive behaviors by gender: A multicenter study in rural China

BACKGROUND

Neglect and physical abuse may be typical risk factors for aggressive behavior in adolescents. However, findings on their specific effects and sex differences are still unclear. This study aimed to examine the specific effects of neglect and physical abuse on adolescent aggressive behaviors and to further explore the potential sex-specific effect.

METHODS

A multicenter school-based survey was conducted in rural China. A total of 15,957 students aged 11-20 years completed self-report questionnaires to record aggressive behaviors, neglect and physical abuse, and other related information. Participants were grouped into those who experienced none, one of, or both neglect and physical abuse for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Of the participants, 37.0% experienced both neglect and physical abuse, 30.0% experienced neglect only, and 9.8% experienced physical abuse only. Higher risk for physical aggression (OR=1.24, 95% CI=1.06-1.45), and lower risk for verbal aggression (OR=0.83, 95% CI=0.72-0.94) and hostility (OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.69-0.94) were found in the physical abuse only group as compared to the neglect only group. No sex difference was found between neglect or physical abuse and general aggressive behaviors (P>0.05), except that females were more likely to exert physical aggression than males when exposed to neglect and physical abuse (P<0.05).

LIMITATIONS

Cross-sectional design, retrospective self-report data, and not including other maltreatment subtypes.

CONCLUSIONS

Neglect and physical abuse may each have distinct sensitivity for different subtypes of aggression. Targeted treatment for diverse aggressive symptoms is suggested, and strategies to prevent both neglect and physical abuse across gender would yield comprehensive benefits.

Autonomic nervous system activity and callous-unemotional traits in physically maltreated youth

BACKGROUND

Research into callous-unemotional (CU) traits often focuses exclusively on biological risk factors without integrating social factors. This gap exists despite a growing body of research showing that the social environment may actually impact physiological functioning, which could in turn affect behavior.

OBJECTIVE

The current study addresses this limitation by examining physical maltreatment and heart rate stress reactivity as potential risk factors for CU traits.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

This research was conducted in a community sample of Chinese youth (mean age = 11.83 years, 44.3 % female).

METHODS

Each child separately reported frequency of physical maltreatment experiences by his or her mother and father over the past 12 months. Children completed a self-report measure of CU traits.

RESULTS

Frequency of maternal physical maltreatment was associated with uncaring traits in females, but not in males. Paternal physical maltreatment was associated with uncaring traits in both males and females and with callous traits in females only. While paternal physical maltreatment was associated with lower heart rate reactivity in females, maternal physical maltreatment was associated with higher heart rate reactivity in females.

CONCLUSION

Findings provide mixed support for a potential physiological pathway through which child maltreatment may impact callous traits and provide a multilevel, biosocial lens through which to understand CU traits.

Distress Intolerance Mediates the Relationship between Child Maltreatment and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury among Chinese Adolescents: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious public health concern among adolescents. Identifying risk factors of NSSI is important to effectively prevent or reduce such behavior. Child maltreatment is one of the most widely recognized risk factors for NSSI. How child maltreatment and NSSI is related, however, is still unclear. The present study tested the temporal relationship between physical and emotional abuse and NSSI, with distress intolerance as the potential mediator. Potential gender differences on these associations were also tested. We assessed all study variables among 2259 Chinese adolescents (53.8% females; M_age = 15.11 years, SD = 1.57) for three times at 6-month intervals. The results showed that distress intolerance only mediated the relationship between emotional abuse and NSSI, but not between physical abuse and NSSI. In addition, this mediation effect of distress intolerance was significant only for females. The findings of this study can help researchers and practitioners understand pathways by which child maltreatment impacts adolescent NSSI. Implications for preventions and interventions of NSSI were discussed.