Reported prevalence of childhood maltreatment among Chinese college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Child maltreatment and insomnia symptoms among Chinese university students: the buffering role of self-efficacy

Insomnia symptoms represent a significant public health concern, as it engenders substantial long-term health consequences. Considerable research has established the detrimental impacts of child maltreatment on sleep problems among university students. However, the role of self-efficacy in the association between childhood maltreatment and insomnia remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the associations between child maltreatment and insomnia symptoms among university students, and to investigate whether self-efficacy moderated the effects of child maltreatment on insomnia symptoms. A total of 2014 participants with random cluster sampling method were recruited from Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, from October 2022 to November 2022. Adjusting for covariates, the results of multiple logistic regression indicated that the participants with the experience of any type of child maltreatment (odds ratio [OR] 2.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.63-3.07), childhood emotional abuse (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.95-3.41), childhood emotional neglect (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.87-1.54), childhood physical abuse (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.60-2.8), childhood physical neglect (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.64-2.92), childhood sexual abuse (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.46-2.68) were more likely to report insomnia symptoms than those without. Individuals reporting one-two types and three-five types of child maltreatment were 1.81 times (95% CI 1.30-2.52) and 3.77 times (95% CI 2.58-5.50) more likely to report insomnia symptoms than those reporting zero types of child maltreatment, respectively. Furthermore, robust linear regression analysis revealed that self-efficacy moderated the associations between child maltreatment and insomnia symptoms (β = 0.007, 95% CI 0.004-0.010). These findings underscore the need for integrated mental health education, support services, and faculty training to address the impact of child maltreatment on insomnia symptoms among university students. Policy recommendations include advocating for comprehensive mental health services, incorporating self-efficacy initiatives, and fostering community engagement for a holistic approach to student well-being.

The mediating effect of social network sites addiction on the relationship between childhood psychological abuse and depression in college students and the moderating effect of psychological flexibility

BACKGROUND

Experience of child psychological abuse in college students is likely to increase their risk of depression, but the potential psychological mechanisms between the two require further exploration. This study supplemented the risk and protective factors between child psychological abuse and depression in college students by introducing social network sites addiction (SNSA) as a mediating factor and psychological flexibility as a moderating factor.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 655 college students from two universities in Hunan Province, China. Self-reported measures included childhood psychological abuse, depression, SNSA, and psychological flexibility. Descriptive and correlational analyses were performed on these variables, followed by the establishment of a structural equation model.

RESULTS

Child psychological abuse was positively associated with depression (r = .507, p < .001) and SNSA (r = .208, p < .001) in college students and negatively associated with psychological flexibility (r = -.293, p < .001). SNSA played a mediating role between childhood psychological abuse and depression (β = .170, SE = 0.035, p < .001) in college students, while psychological flexibility attenuated the strength of the relationship between the latter two (β = -.095, SE = 0.031, p < .01).

CONCLUSION

The study further elucidates the psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between childhood psychological abuse and depression in college students. SNSA may mediate the relationship between the two, while psychological flexibility may buffer the strength of the relationship between them. Future research should explore interventions enhancing college students' psychological flexibility after childhood psychological abuse to cut the risk of depression.

Association between maternal exposure to cumulative childhood trauma and offspring childhood trauma and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to explore the effect of maternal exposure to cumulative childhood trauma (CT) on offspring CT and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

A total of 3672 mothers and their 3672 adolescent offspring who completed the questionnaires were included in this study. CT was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form, while depressive symptoms in adolescents were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale.

RESULTS

Among the 3672 maternal respondents, 1397 (38.04%) reported ever having experienced CT and 463 (12.61%) reported ≥ 2 types of CT. As shown by logistic regression analysis, having a mother who was exposed to 1 or ≥ 2 types of CT was a risk factor for offspring CT exposure in the overall sample of adolescents, as well as male and female adolescent subgroups, relative to those whose mothers were not exposed to CT. Offspring emotional neglect mediated the relationship between maternal exposure to cumulative CT and offspring depressive symptoms among male and female adolescents, while offspring physical neglect mediated the relationship between maternal exposure to cumulative CT and offspring depressive symptoms among male adolescent offspring, as the indirect paths did not include 0.

CONCLUSION

Maternal exposure to cumulative CT may affect the severity of CT in their adolescent offspring, which indirectly impacts adolescents' depressive symptoms.

Longitudinal Association Between Childhood Emotional Maltreatment and Gratitude in Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Parent-Child Attachment

Childhood emotional maltreatment is a crucial risk factor for gratitude in adolescents. However, previous research has not investigated the effects of two types of emotional maltreatment (i.e., emotional abuse and emotional neglect) on gratitude, and explored the underlying mechanisms. To address existing research gaps, this study investigated how childhood emotional maltreatment affected adolescent gratitude, as well as the potential role of parent-child attachment in the Chinese context. A total of 491 Chinese adolescents from a public high school (Mage = 16.19 years, SD = 0.50; 60.5% female) participated in this 10-month, three-wave longitudinal study. The path analysis revealed that cumulative childhood emotional maltreatment and childhood emotional neglect at T1 predicted lower levels of gratitude at T3, while childhood emotional abuse did not. Additionally, parent-child attachment at T2 mediated the relationship between cumulative childhood emotional maltreatment at T1 and gratitude at T3. These findings underscore the enduring negative impact of childhood emotional maltreatment on adolescent gratitude and highlight the crucial role of parent-child attachment in this relationship.

The interaction effect between childhood trauma and negative events during adulthood on development and severity of irritable bowel syndrome

BACKGROUND

Childhood trauma and negative events during adulthood were associated with the symptom severity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, the interaction effect of these negative events on IBS remains poorly understood.

METHODS

70 healthy individuals who completed Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Life Event Scale (LES) and 88 IBS patients, diagnosed based on the Rome IV criteria, who completed CTQ, LES, IBS-Quality of Life (IBS-QOL), and IBS-Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS) were retrospectively included. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to investigate the interaction effect between childhood trauma and negative events during adulthood on IBS.

RESULTS

Female sex, childhood emotional abuse and neglect, and negative events during adulthood were associated with a higher prevalence of IBS. In IBS patients, childhood emotional abuse and neglect, as well as negative events during adulthood, were independently associated with more severe symptoms and worse quality of life. A significant interaction effect between childhood emotional trauma and negative events during adulthood was observed in IBS severity and quality of life, though no interaction effect was found in IBS development. Subsequent analyses revealed that the effect of negative events during adulthood on IBS severity and quality of life increased in IBS patients with childhood emotional trauma (IBS-SSS, β = 5.75, p < 0.001; IBS-QOL, β = 2.1, p < 0.001) compared with those without (IBS-SSS, β = 3.23, p < 0.001; IBS-QOL, β = 0.69, p = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood emotional trauma and negative events during adulthood were associated with IBS development, higher IBS severity, and worse quality of life. Furthermore, childhood emotional trauma increased the negative effect of negative events during adulthood on IBS severity and quality of life.

From single to multiple: the association of childhood trauma with frequent nightmares among youth

OBJECTIVE

Childhood trauma is a known risk factor for frequent nightmares in youth, but the effects of single and multiple traumas remain unclear. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between single and multiple childhood traumas and frequent nightmares.

METHODS

Youth aged 12-25 years completed online questionnaires on childhood trauma and nightmares. Cumulative scores and latent class analyses were used to identify multiple childhood traumas. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between childhood trauma types and frequent nightmares.

RESULTS

Of the 6145 participants, 27.2 % (n = 1670) reported frequent nightmares during the past year. Adjusted analyses showed emotional abuse (OR: 1.45, 95 %CI: 1.23-1.87) and emotional neglect (OR: 1.19, 95 %CI: 1.03-1.37) significantly increased the risk of nightmares. The risk of frequent nightmares increased with the number of traumas: 26 % for one, 36 % for two, and 51 % for three or more, compared with none. The latent class analysis identified three multiple trauma patterns: "low abuse, low neglect" (n = 3837), "low abuse, high neglect" (n = 2089), and "high abuse, high neglect" (n = 219), with increased nightmares risks of 26 % and 47 % in the latter two, respectively, versus the first. However, no significant difference was observed between "low abuse, high neglect" and "high abuse, high neglect" (OR: 1.17, 95 % CI: 0.85-1.60).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings enhance the understanding of the heterogeneity of childhood trauma and its association with nightmares. Prevention and treatment programs for nightmares should be tailored according to different patterns of childhood trauma.

Symptomatic Pathways of Comorbid Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Adolescents Exposed to Childhood Trauma-Insights from the Network Approach

Background

Childhood trauma can have a long-lasting influence on individuals and contribute to mental disorders, including depression and anxiety. Depression, anxiety, and stress are highly comorbid among adolescents with the trauma experience. Yet, the evolution of comorbidity remains unclear. To fill this gap, the current study aimed to explore the symptomatic and changing patterns of depression, anxiety, and stress among adolescents exposed to childhood trauma.

Methods

A total of 1548 college students (females = 782 (50.98%), Meanage = 19.59, SDage = 1.14) in China completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21), and 942 students (Females = 516 (54.78%), Meanage = 19.57, SDage = 1.16) met the selection standard based on the cut-off scores of the CTQ. The symptomatic network and directed acyclic graph (DAG) network approaches were used.

Results

The results revealed that males reported experiencing significantly more physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse compared to females. However, females scored significantly higher than males on "Worried" (DASS9), "Agitated" (DASS11), "Panic" (DASS15), and "Scared" (DASS20). No significant difference between genders was observed in the network structure and global strength. Meanwhile, among all participants, "Down-hearted" and "Agitated" appeared to be the most interconnected symptoms, the bridge symptoms in the symptom network, as well as the most vital symptoms in the directed acyclic graph network. Apart from that, "Panic" also served as the most prominent symptom in the directed acyclic graph network.

Conclusion

The results suggested that intervention targeted at assisting adolescents in developing more adaptive coping strategies with stress and regulating emotion could benefit the alleviation of comorbid depression, anxiety, and stress.

Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Interpersonal Childhood Adversities and Later Life Depressive Symptoms

There is very little research on the relationship between interpersonal adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms in later adulthood in China. This study examines gender differences in the relationships between childhood physical abuse, bullying victimization, witnessing domestic violence, and depressive symptoms in Chinese middle-aged and older adults, controlling for self-rated physical health and sociodemographic characteristics.The study was based on a nationally representative sample of 4,775 males and 5,596 females aged 45 and older collected through the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Childhood adversity indicators in the 2014 Life History Survey were merged with the harmonized 2018 CHARLS dataset. Structural equation modeling was conducted for males and females simultaneously.Physical abuse was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms for either males or females. However, bullying victimization was significantly associated with depressive symptoms for both males and females. This association was stronger for males compared to females, but the gender difference was not statistically significant. Additionally, witnessing domestic violence had a significant association with depressive symptoms for both males and females, with a stronger association for females but this gender difference also was not statistically significant.Being bullied and witnessing domestic violence were still influential in middle and late life. To provide more effective prevention and interventions, further investigations are needed regarding the mechanisms behind the significant relationships and to explore why childhood physical abuse was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms among these Chinese participants.

Physical and emotional abuse with internet addiction and anxiety as a mediator and physical activity as a moderator

This study aimed to explore the relationship between physical and emotional abuse (physical-emotional abuse) and Internet addiction in university students, as well as the mediating role of anxiety and the moderating role of physical activity. The data of physical-emotional abuse, anxiety and Internet addiction, and physical activity were measured by subjective questionnaire with convenience sampling in March 2024. A total of 1591 participants (806 males and 692 females) from Shanxi, Henan, Hunan and Hubei provinces in China were investigated. Subsequently, the relationships among the variables were explored using pearson correlation analysis. Finally, mediation and moderation models were assessed using the SPSS PROCESS macro plugin. After controlling for participants' gender, grade level, and place of residence, only-child status, the study findings revealed that physical-emotional abuse significantly and positively predicted internet addiction and anxiety among university students (β = 0.157, β = 0.271, p < 0.001). However, upon the inclusion of anxiety as a variable, the predictive effect of physical-emotional abuse on internet addiction among university students became non-significant (β = 0.035, p > 0.05). Anxiety was found to have a significant complete mediating effect between physical-emotional abuse and internet addiction among university students. Additionally, physical activity significantly and negatively predicted anxiety (β = -0.062, p < 0.05), and the interaction term between physical-emotional abuse and physical activity also significantly and negatively predicted anxiety (β = - 0.053, p < 0.05). Physical activity moderated the first half of the mediation pathway from "physical-emotional abuse to anxiety to internet addiction." Anxiety may be the internal mechanism of physical-emotional abuse affecting university students' Internet addiction, and physical activity plays a moderator role in the relationship between physical-emotional abuse and university students' Internet addiction. The study will provide new perspectives and strategies for the public health field to address physical-emotional abuse and Internet addiction among university students. It is also critical that future studies validate these findings on a large, multi-country basis.

Associations of childhood trauma with remission and treatment response after 12 weeks of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment in patients with major depressive disorder

OBJECTIVE

To explore the associations of childhood trauma and its subtypes with remission and treatment response after 12 weeks of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

METHODS

Data were from patients with MDD in the Depression Cohort in China. At baseline, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form was used to assess childhood trauma, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect. After 12 weeks of SSRI treatment, depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Remission was defined as a PHQ-9 score < 5, and response was defined as a ≥ 50 % decline in the PHQ-9 score from baseline.

RESULTS

The sample included 572 patients with MDD (mean [SD] age, 27.4 [7.2] years; 30.6 % male). After receiving 12 weeks of SSRI treatment, 32.2 % of patients achieved remission and 49.1 % of patients responded to treatment. After fully adjusting for confounders, patients with childhood trauma (OR, 0.55; 95 % CI, 0.36 to 0.84), physical abuse (OR, 0.43; 95 % CI, 0.23 to 0.79), emotional abuse (OR, 0.40; 95 % CI, 0.24 to 0.67), or sexual abuse (OR, 0.49; 95 % CI, 0.24 to 0.99) had a lower likelihood of remission, but those with physical neglect or emotional neglect did not. The response showed similar results.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with MDD, childhood abuse (i.e., physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse), but not childhood neglect (i.e., physical neglect and emotional neglect), was associated with a lower likelihood of remission and response after 12 weeks of SSRI treatment.

Coexisting patterns of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms in college students who experienced childhood maltreatment: Different types of maltreatment exposure

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment is often associated with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, but the impact of different types of maltreatment on this comorbidity is not well understood.

METHODS

Using network analysis, we examined differences in comorbidity patterns of PTSD and depression symptoms among college students who experienced different forms of childhood maltreatment. We selected a subsample of 2968 students (Mage = 19.38, SD = ±1.45) who reported exposure to childhood maltreatment from a larger sample of 5231 students.

RESULTS

This study showed that symptoms of negative emotions and cognitive change, intrusive symptoms, and increased alertness might play a significant role in the diagnosis and prognosis of comorbid PTSD and depression. The most central nodes in the network of physical maltreatment were flashbacks, and irritability, whereas the most central nodes in the network of emotional and compound trauma, were low mood and sadness. Moreover, network structure and strength differed significantly between maltreatment types, and differences in specific symptom associations were also observed.

CONCLUSION

Network analysis provides insights into which symptoms contribute to the development of comorbidities in individuals with different childhood maltreatment types, as well as how specific symptoms are interconnected in the network. This information can aid in developing targeted and effective interventions for different maltreatment forms.

Childhood emotional maltreatment and emotional intelligence in adolescents: The mediating role of mindfulness

BACKGROUND

Childhood emotional maltreatment is detrimental to adolescents' emotional intelligence. However, most research has concentrated on the overall experience of childhood emotional maltreatment, leaving the outcomes of specific types of emotional maltreatment (i.e., emotional abuse and emotional neglect) and the mechanisms underlying these effects largely unexplored.

OBJECTIVE

Guided by the dimensional theory and the family risk factor model, this study used a two-wave longitudinal design to explore the association between two types of childhood emotional maltreatment and emotional intelligence. Furthermore, mindfulness's mediating role was also examined from the perspective of the schema theory.

METHODS

This study included 580 Chinese teenagers (237 males; Mage = 15.94), who filled out questionnaires assessing childhood emotional maltreatment, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence. Path analyses and semi-longitudinal mediation analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

According to the results of path analyses, only childhood emotional abuse predicted emotional intelligence, while neglect did not. Furthermore, the findings from the semi-longitudinal mediation indicated that mindfulness mediated the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and emotional intelligence.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study's findings highlighted the differential predictive effects of two types of childhood emotional maltreatment on emotional intelligence among teenagers, as well as the mediating role of mindfulness in this association. Thus, mindfulness may be a key area for intervention and may help to enhance the emotional intelligence of adolescents who have experienced childhood emotional abuse.

The lasting effects of childhood trauma on developing psychiatric symptoms: A population-based, large-scale comparison study

Background

Childhood trauma (CT) increases rates of psychiatric disorders and symptoms, however, the lasting effect of CT into adulthood has little exploration using large-scale samples.

Objectives

This study estimated the prevalence of CT in a large sample of Chinese young adults, examining the risk factors of current psychological symptoms among those with CT experiences.

Methods

117,769 college students were divided into CT and non-CT groups. The propensity score matching method balanced the confounding sociodemographic factors between the two groups, compared to 16 self-reported psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder), and seven current psychiatric symptoms. Hierarchical regression employed the significant risk factors of the seven current psychiatric symptoms.

Results

The prevalence of CT among young adults was 28.76% (95% CI: 28.47-29.04%). Youths with CT experiences reported higher psychiatric disorder rates and current symptom scores (P < 0.001). Sociodemographic factors (females, family disharmony, low socioeconomic status, poor relationship with parents, lower father's education level) and lifestyle factors (smoking status, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise) were significantly associated with current psychiatric symptoms.

Results

Public health departments and colleges should develop strategies to promote mental health among those who have experienced CT.

Childhood maltreatment and aggressive behavior among college students: a serial mediation model of authenticity and alexithymia

Introduction

Aggressive behavior among college students is a concerning issue that not only affects the mental health and personal development of those involved but also poses a threat to societal stability. Existing literature has consistently demonstrated a positive correlation between childhood maltreatment and aggressive behavior. However, the specific mechanisms through which childhood maltreatment leads to aggressive behavior remain unclear. This study aims to explore the impact of childhood maltreatment on aggressive behavior among college students and to examine the mediating roles of authenticity and alexithymia in this relationship.

Methods

To investigate these relationships, we conducted an online survey among 1,148 Chinese college students. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Authenticity Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and 12-item Aggression Questionnaire (12-AQ). These instruments allowed us to measure the variables of interest and to analyze the potential mediating effects of authenticity and alexithymia.

Results

The findings of our study indicate that both authenticity and alexithymia mediate the positive relationship between childhood maltreatment and aggressive behavior. Specifically, the mediating effect of authenticity was 0.04 (95% CI [0.01, 0.06]), while that of alexithymia was 0.10 (95% CI [0.07, 0.13]). Moreover, we observed a chain-mediating effect involving both authenticity and alexithymia, with a chain-mediating effect of 0.03 (95% CI [0.02, 0.05]).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that childhood maltreatment can positively predict aggressive behavior in college students, and this relationship is mediated individually and sequentially by authenticity and alexithymia. Our findings contribute valuable insights to the existing research on aggressive behavior and provide a theoretical framework for developing interventions aimed at reducing aggressive behaviors among college students.

Childhood abuse and risk of migraine: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Childhood abuse is associated with an increased risk of migraines. However, the literature on this association is limited.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the pooled effect size of the association between childhood abuse and migraines.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

System review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

A systematic literature search for studies published until September 20, 2023, was performed using the Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. Specifically, original articles reporting the statistical effect size (odds ratio) of the association between childhood abuse and migraines were selected. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random- or fixed-effects models. Publication bias was examined using funnel plots, and sensitivity analysis was used to explore the stability of the pooled results.

RESULTS

Twelve studies involving 110,776 participants were included. Individuals with childhood abuse (OR = 1.60, 95 % CI: 1.49, 1.71) were at increased risk of migraine when compared with individuals with no childhood abuse. Of the different types of childhood abuse examined, sexual abuse (OR = 1.71, 95 % CI: 1.43, 2.04), physical abuse (OR = 1.47, 95 % CI: 1.38, 1.56), and emotional abuse (OR = 1.71, 95 % CI: 1.52, 1.93) were associated with an increased risk of migraine.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood abuse increases migraine risk. Multifaceted interventions to curb abuse and related behaviors can effectively reduce migraine risk. However, considering that multiple factors, such as obesity and anxiety, are causatively associated with both childhood abuse and migraines, our findings should be interpreted with caution.

Childhood Maltreatment Associated with Anxiety and Depression and Complex PTSD Symptoms

Background

Childhood maltreatment has great impact on physical and mental health. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between childhood maltreatment experience, social support, Anxiety and Depression, and traumatic stress symptoms in adults.

Methods

There were 113 subjects aged 20-35 recruited. They filled out self-reported questionnaires, including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form (CTQ-SF), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), Chinese version of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), to measure symptom severity regarding childhood maltreatment, Anxiety and Depression, post-traumatic stress/complex post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSD/CPTSD), and social support. The symptom severity was compared between maltreatment and non-maltreatment groups. Regression and mediator analyzes were done to investigate the relationship between maltreatment experience, mental impact severity, and the role of social support.

Results

There were 74.3% of participants who had been maltreated as children. Those who experienced maltreatment had more PTSD/CPTSD symptom severity than those who did not. Family support, but not friend support, mediated the relationship between maltreatment and PTSD/CPTSD symptom severity.

Conclusion

Childhood maltreatment was associated with Anxiety and Depression and CPTSD symptom severity in young adults. Future prospective studies are warranted to investigate the role of family support in preventing consequences after maltreatment.

Exploring the prevalence of childhood adversity among university students in the United Kingdom: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

The focus of this review was to systematically review and meta-analyse the prevalence of ACEs among university students in the UK.

METHOD

The systematic searching of six electronic databases (conducted February 2024) identified ten relevant articles (peer-reviewed articles of a quantitative nature that included ACE prevalence). PROSPERO reference: CRD42022364799.

RESULTS

Pooled prevalence for number of ACEs endured was 55.4% (95% CI: 32.4% - 78.4%; I2 > 99.5%) for one or more, and 31.6% (7.5% - 55.6%; I2 > 99.5%) for three or more. Pooled prevalence was: 15.9% (7.0% - 24.7%; I2 > 94.5%) for physical abuse; 27.0% (18.1% - 35.9%; I2 > 94.5%) for emotional abuse; 12.1% (5.2% - 19.0%; I2 > 94.5%) for sexual abuse; 8.4% (1.7% - 15.1%; I2 > 95.4%) for physical neglect, and 30.0% (21.5% - 38.5%; I2 > 95.4%) for emotional neglect. Pooled prevalence for household dysfunction categories were: 34.4% (22.8% - 46.0%) for parental separation; 18.4% (10.1% - 26.8%) for domestic violence; 35.2% (23.6% - 46.8%) for mental health difficulties; 21.4% (12.9% - 29.9%) for substance use; and 5.7% (2.3% - 9.1%) for incarceration (I2 > 88.8% for all household dysfunction items). Significant heterogeneity was observed between studies for most categories of adversity, and it was not possible to explain/reduce this variance by removing small numbers of influential/discrepant studies. Further analyses suggested potential influences of measurement tool used, country of data collection, and age and sex of participants.

CONCLUSION

Results demonstrate considerable, largely unaccounted-for, heterogeneity in estimates of the prevalence of ACEs, impeding confidence in any summary statistics. Conclusions must be tentative due to analyses being underpowered given small numbers of papers, as well as potential confounds, meaning results may not be truly representative. However, results do suggest high prevalence rates which warrant further investigation, with appropriate support offered to students.

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.

Interaction between anxiety symptoms and decreased meaning in life: One possible pathway linking childhood trauma and depression- evidence from the network analysis

BACKGROUND

Robust evidence suggests that individuals exposed to childhood trauma are more vulnerable to suffering from later depression. However, the pathway connecting the experience of childhood trauma and depression remains unclear.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

A total of 3663 participants from six colleges in China completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7, and Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale. Among all participants, 3115 (Mage = 19.20, SDage = 1.38, males = 1384) participants met the selective standard of suffering from childhood trauma and were divided into the traumatized depressed group (the DT group) (n = 1432, Mage = 19.26, males = 700) and traumatized non-depressed group (the UDT group) (n = 1683, Mage = 19.15, males = 684).

METHODS

In the present study, we examined the comorbidity of anxiety and the facets of meaning in the life network model. We then calculated the bridge symptoms and compared the networks of the DT group and the UDT group.

RESULTS

The results of the t-test showed that the DT group scored significantly higher on all symptoms of anxiety and significantly lower on all dimensions of meaning in life compared to the UDT group. Meanwhile, the strongest bridge exists between "Mattering" and "Restlessness" in the symptom network of the DT group, while there is no bridge in the symptom network of the UDT group. The result of NCT indicates that the global strength and the EI value of "Mattering" are significantly higher in the symptom network of the DT group than in the UDT group.

CONCLUSION

Intervention targeting improving the self-esteem of individuals suffering from childhood trauma may help to alleviate their depression and anxiety symptoms.

Linear and curvilinear association of pain tolerance and social anxiety symptoms among youth with different subgroups of childhood trauma

BACKGROUND

Social anxiety is a common symptom that occurs after exposure to childhood trauma (CT), and pain tolerance is a protective factor against social anxiety in generic populations with CT. However, few studies have investigated whether and how this association varies across different CT subgroups. Thus, this study aimed to investigate (1) the effects of pain tolerance on social anxiety symptoms among youth with different subgroups of CT; (2) the nonlinear relationship between pain tolerance and social anxiety symptoms among different CT categories.

METHODS

In this study, 15,682 college or university students with experiences of CT were identified in a large sample and divided into five CT subgroups. Linear and quadratic regression models were conducted to explore the association between pain tolerance and social anxiety symptoms among youth with different CT subgroups.

RESULTS

The results of model revealed a linear relationship between pain tolerance and social anxiety symptoms among youth with most CT subgroups. Notably, an inverted U-shaped curve was found between pain tolerance and social anxiety symptoms in youth with emotional abuse. Social anxiety symptoms increased gradually with pain tolerance scores between 0 and 16, and then sharply decreased when scores reached above 16.

LIMITATIONS

Limited by self-report measurements, the results of this study focused only on perceived pain tolerance and ignored behavioral pain tolerance.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the importance of assessing pain tolerance thresholds in youth with emotional abuse and improving pain tolerance to prevent social anxiety symptoms in youth with different subgroups of CT.

Adverse childhood experiences and subsequent physical and mental health among young adults: Results from six universities in China

Research has shown that individuals with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are more likely to encounter heightened risks of physical and psychological challenges later in life. However, limited research has explored the comprehensive impact on the physical and mental health of young adults. Thus, we conducted a study to investigate the associations of ACEs with the physical and mental health of 18,723 college students in China. Their physical and mental health status was assessed using self-perceived health assessments, self-reported disease diagnoses, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7-item scale. Results showed that 82.6 % of participants had experienced at least one ACE, with 10.7 % reporting exposure to four or more ACEs. Compared to participants with low ACEs exposure (≤ 1), participants with high ACEs exposure (≥ 4) had a nearly twofold increase in the odds of cardiometabolic diseases (OR [95 % CI] = 2.06 [1.55-2.74]) and fractures (2.32 [1.88-2.87]). Additionally, individuals with high ACE exposure exhibited a threefold increased odds of severe anxiety symptoms (3.78 [2.59-5.51]) and bipolar disorder/schizophrenia (3.38 [2.18-5.23]). These findings highlight ACEs as a significant risk factor for poor physical and mental health among young adults. Targeted support and interventions for individuals with multiple ACEs may help mitigate their long-term disease burden.

Childhood maltreatment and psychopathy in Chinese juvenile offenders: person-centered perspective

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment stands as a salient risk factor in the etiology of juvenile delinquency, with a profound impact on the behavioral trajectories of young offenders. However, there is limited research on latent profile analysis to explore distinctive patterns of childhood maltreatment in Chinese juvenile offenders. Consequently, there is a lack of understanding regarding the associations between maltreatment profiles and relevant variables in this context. The present study aimed to explore meaningful subgroups of childhood maltreatment in juvenile offenders, and we further examined the associations between subgroups and multiple outcomes especially psychopathy.

METHODS

The data was obtained from a sample of Chinese juvenile offenders (N = 625, M age = 17.22, SD = 1.23). This study employed a latent profile analysis (LPA) based on factor scores of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form to identify the subgroups and examined the differences across subgroups using outcomes variables including psychopathy, callous-unemotional traits, aggression and anxiety. This study includes three self-report measures to evaluate psychopathy, with due regard for the nuanced considerations on the factor structure inherent in the conceptualization of psychopathy.

RESULTS

Two subgroups were identified, including the non-maltreatment subgroup (80.2%) and the maltreatment subgroup (19.8%). Maltreatment subgroup was characterized by a greater level of all types of maltreatment with particularly higher of emotion neglect. Besides, we found that maltreatment subgroup showed a significantly higher level of psychopathy across multiple self-report measures, and greater callous-unemotional traits, lack of empathy, aggression and anxiety. We found two subgroups of child maltreatment in Chinese juvenile offenders.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings may provide a further understanding of childhood maltreatment and the clinical intervention on psychopathy in the early period.

Childhood maltreatment and insomnia in college students: The role of alexithymia and psychological distress

Insomnia, which is highly prevalent among college students, has been identified as one of the negative consequences of childhood maltreatment. While prior studies have uncovered distinct correlations between childhood maltreatment, insomnia, and other variables, the potential underlying mechanisms need to be further explored. This study focused on the chain-mediating role of alexithymia and psychological distress in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and insomnia. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among Chinese college students, yielding 999 valid questionnaires that included demographic information, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). A chain-mediating model was then tested. The results revealed significant positive correlations between each pair of the four variables. Alexithymia and psychological distress separately mediated the link between childhood maltreatment and insomnia (effect of alexithymia was 0.06 with 95 % CI [0.03, 0.09]; effect of psychological distress was 0.24 with 95 % CI [0.19, 0.29]). Additionally, a chain-mediating effect of alexithymia and psychological distress was observed (chain-mediating effect was 0.12 with 95 % CI [0.09, 0.15]). The findings suggest that emotional interventions may mitigate the long-term effect of childhood maltreatment on sleep problems among college students, by improving the ability to recognize emotions and decreasing emotional problems.

The reciprocal relationship between child maltreatment and children's bullying victimization in China

Children who experience physical and psychological maltreatment within their family are more likely to become victims of abuse outside the family. In Chinese culture, children's victimization may also be a precursor to parenting behaviors. Nevertheless, the reciprocal relationship between child maltreatment and children's bullying victimization remains unclear, particularly in Chinese culture. This study aimed to evaluate the reciprocal association between child maltreatment and children's bullying victimization in China, as well as its gender differences. A total of 891 children aged 8-11 years in China participated in the study at four time points. The potential reciprocal link was examined using a cross-lagged model. The results indicated that physical abuse predicted children's bullying victimization across four time points, while physical neglect predicted children's bullying victimization during the first three time points. The effects of emotional abuse and neglect were negligible. Conversely, children's bullying victimization consistently predicted various types of parental maltreatment over time. Some gender differences in the relationship were found. The findings emphasized a reciprocal relationship between child maltreatment within the family and children's bullying victimization at school. Understanding the cyclical patterns between child maltreatment and bullying victimization may help improve family education approaches and reduce children's bullying victimization.

A reciprocal relationship between parental maltreatment and child bullying perpetration in China

This study aimed to examine the longitudinal reciprocal relationship between parental maltreatment and child bullying perpetration from middle childhood to early adolescence in China and the associated gender differences. Eight hundred ninety-one children completed a battery of questionnaires at four time points. A random-intercept cross-lagged model was established. The results indicated that at the between-person level, child bullying perpetration was positively associated with physical and psychological maltreatment. At the within-person level, there was a significant association between an increase in bullying perpetration and an increase in parental psychological and physical maltreatment across the four time points. Conversely, an increase in physical maltreatment led to an increase in child bullying perpetration from T1 to T2, while an increase in psychological maltreatment resulted in an increase in child bullying perpetration from T1 to T2 and T2 to T3. Furthermore, an increase in physical maltreatment increased boys' bullying perpetration but decreased that in girls from T2 to T3. These findings provide inspiration for future family education and anti-bullying interventions in schools.

Childhood maltreatment and depressed mood in female college students: A daily diary analysis

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment has well-documented relations with depressed mood. However, few studies have used a daily diary methodology to investigate the association between all five forms of childhood maltreatment (emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, emotional and physical neglect) and depressed mood, and the mechanisms underlying the association remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The current study sought to examine the associations of multiple forms of childhood maltreatment with depressed mood via a 14-day daily diary methodology, and investigate the mediating effects of self-compassion and perceived social support.

METHODS

A sample of 220 Chinese female college students (Mage = 19.13 years) participated in this study and completed questionnaires regarding childhood maltreatment, self-compassion, perceived social support and depressed mood.

RESULTS

The multilevel regression analysis indicated that only emotional abuse was slightly associated with depressed mood, while emotional neglect, physical abuse, physical neglect, or sexual abuse were not associated with depressed mood. The multilevel mediation analysis further revealed that self-compassion and perceived social support independently mediated the association of childhood emotional abuse with depressed mood.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, these results emphasize the specific association between childhood emotional abuse and daily depressed mood, and further support self-compassion and perceived social support as explanatory mechanisms linking childhood emotional abuse with later depressed mood.

The influence of childhood trauma and chronotype on suicide attempts in Chinese emerging adults with severe depressive symptoms

BACKGROUND

Studies have investigated how adults with severe depressive symptoms are more likely to attempt suicide, and these adults often have traumatic experiences and chaotic sleep/wake rhythms. Thus, this study using Latent class analysis aimed to investigate the relationship between childhood trauma class, chronotype, and suicide attempts among emerging adults with severe depressive symptoms.

METHODS

This study was conducted among emerging adults with severe depressive symptoms covering 63 Universities in Jilin Province, China. A total of 1,225 emerging adults (mean age = 19.6 ± 1.78) constructed the final sample. In addition to measuring socio-demographic characteristics, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, the Single-Item Chronotyping, and a single item for suicide attempts were used to evaluate childhood trauma, chronotype, and suicide attempts, respectively. Latent class analysis was applied to identify the classes of childhood trauma within emerging adults who had severe depressive symptoms. Hierarchical logistic regression models were run to investigate the effects of socio-demographic characteristics, chronotype, and childhood trauma class on suicide attempts.

RESULTS

Three latent classes were identified: the Low-risk for childhood trauma class, the Neglect class, and the High-risk for childhood abuse class. Those who suffered sexual, emotional, and physical abuse at the same time were divided into the High-risk for childhood abuse class, and were significantly more likely to experience suicide attempts than those in the Neglect class (OR = 1.97, 95%CI = 1.34-2.89, p < 0.001) and the Low-risk for childhood trauma class (OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.50-3.46, p < 0.001). In terms of chronotype, the results showed that the chaotic type was a risk factor for suicide attempts when compared with the evening type (OR = 0.46, 95%CI = 0.27-0.78, p < 0.01), the moderately active type (OR = 0.53, 95%CI = 0.31-0.89, p < 0.05), and the daytime type (OR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.21-0.86, p < 0.05). Overall, the significant risk factors for suicide attempts included being female, living in an urban area, having experienced sexual, emotional, and physical abuse simultaneously, and having a chaotic chronotype.

CONCLUSION

Emerging adults suffering sexual, emotional, and physical abuse at the same time and identifying with chaotic chronotype showed a higher risk of attempting suicide. The findings provided a clinical reference to quickly identify those at high risk of suicide attempts among emerging adults with severe depressive symptoms.

The association between childhood maltreatment and internet addiction among Chinese junior middle school students: prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment is associated with internet addiction, but most evidence is from retrospective studies.

AIMS

We aimed to investigate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and internet addiction through a prospective cohort design.

METHOD

In a prospective cohort study, self-reported data on childhood maltreatment (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form) at baseline, and internet addiction (Revised Chinese Internet Addiction Scale) at baseline and 6-month follow-up, were collected online from 756 Chinese junior middle school students aged 11-15 years and residing in Changsha, Hunan Province. Demographic data and covariates such as depression, anxiety, stress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21) and insomnia (Athens Insomnia Scale) were also surveyed at baseline. Logistic regression analysis measured the association between childhood maltreatment and internet addiction, and gender-related differences.

RESULTS

Childhood maltreatment was prevalent in Chinese junior middle school students (37.83%), and the incidence rate of internet addiction was 9.26% at the 6-month follow-up. Emotional abuse was a significant risk factor for internet addiction (adjusted odds ratio 2.618, 95% CI 1.194-5.738; P = 0.016) in both males and females.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests a high prevalence of childhood maltreatment in Chinese junior middle school students, and that emotional abuse plays a significant role in internet addiction. More attention should be paid to parenting style and adolescents' mental health.

The effect of childhood trauma on suicide risk: the chain mediating effects of resilience and mental distress

BACKGROUND

Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29 years. A large number of studies have found that mental disorder in adulthood is closely related to childhood trauma, and the relationship between childhood trauma and suicide risk is influenced by resilience and mental distress. This study aimed to explore the effects of childhood trauma on suicide risk among young people and the potential roles of resilience and mental distress in the relationship between childhood trauma on suicide risk.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 742 young adults who were in graduate school stage from multiple provinces and cities in China. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-Short Form), Connor-Davison Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) were used to measure young adults' childhood trauma, resilience and suicide risk, respectively. 9-items Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and 7-items self-report Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) were used together to measure mental distress. Correlation analysis was performed to explore the initial relationships among the main variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to examine the chain mediating effects of resilience and mental distress in the relationship between childhood trauma and suicide risk.

RESULTS

The structural equation modeling produced goodness of fit indices (χ2 /df = 3.668, p < 0.001, RMSEA = 0.060, NFI = 0.959, CFI = 0.969, GFI = 0.969, TLI = 0.955). Childhood trauma significantly predicted suicide risk (β = 0.232, p < 0.001) and mental distress (β = 0.181, p < 0.001), which had negative effect on resilience (β = -0.233, p < 0.001). Resilience negatively affected mental distress (β = -0.483, p < 0.001) and suicide risk (β = -0.142, p = 0.001), while mental distress positively associated with suicide risk (β = 0.219, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The current study revealed that resilience and mental distress played chain-mediating roles in the relationship between childhood trauma and suicide risk. This suggests that we should view the suicide risk of graduate students from a comprehensive perspective.

Impacts of combined childhood exposures to poor neighborhood quality, peer friendships and family relationships on adult depression: A seven-year longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Little is known about how multisystemic childhood exposures predict adult depression. This study aims to examine the effects of multisystemic childhood exposures on the onset and remission of adult depression.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) (wave 1-4), which is a nationally representative longitudinal survey of people 45 years of age or older in China. Childhood family relationships (CFR), childhood peer friendships (CPF), and childhood neighborhood quality (CNQ) scores were recoded into binary (No = 0, Yes = 1) according to the first quantile value. Participants were divided into four groups based on the total number of poor childhood exposures (group 0-3). The generalized linear mixed model was used to test the longitudinal relationship between combined poor childhood exposures and adult depression.

RESULTS

Of the 4696 participants (55.1 % males), 22.5 % suffered from depression at baseline. The incidence of depression increased from group0 to group3 in four waves, reaching the peak in wave 2018 (incidence of group0 to group3: 14.1 %, 18.5 %, 22.8 %, 27.4 %, p < 0.001), with declining remission rates that reached its lowest in wave 2018 (50.8 %, 41.3 %, 34.3 %, 31.7 %, p < 0.001). The persistent depression rate increased from group0 to group3 (2.7 %, 5.0 %, 8.1 %, 13.0 %, p < 0.001). The risk of depression in group1 (AOR = 1.50, 95%CI: 1.27-1.77), group2 (AOR = 2.43, 95%CI: 2.01-2.94) and group3 (AOR = 4.24, 95%CI: 3.25-5.54) were significantly higher than that in group0.

LIMITATIONS

Childhood histories were collected via self-reported questionnaires, and thus recall bias was inevitable.

CONCLUSIONS

Multisystem poor childhood exposures jointly increased the onset and persistence of adult depression, as well as reduced the remission rate of depression.

Maternal Impaired Cognition and Infant Neglect: Exploring the Independent and Combined Effects of Maternal Executive Function and Reflective Function

Infant neglect is a common type of child maltreatment. According to the Social Information Processing theory, maternal executive function (EF) and reflective function (RF) are assumed to be important contributing factors to infant neglect. However, empirical evidence about this assumption is sparse. This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 1010 eligible women participated. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version, Parental Reflective Function Questionnaire, and Signs of Neglect in Infants Assessment Scale (SIGN) were used to assess maternal EF, RF, and infant neglect, respectively. Random forest was used to assess the relevant importance of maternal EF and RF. K-means clustering was used to identify the profiles of maternal EF and RF. Multivariable linear regression and generalized additive models were used to examine the independent and combined effects of maternal EF and RF on infant neglect. Each dimension of EF was linearly related to infant neglect. The associations between each dimension of RF and infant neglect were nonlinear. The inflection point for each dimension of RF was indicated. Random forest showed EF was more closely related to infant neglect. EF and RF had accumulative effects on infant neglect. Three profiles were identified. Among them, those with globally impaired EF had the highest level of infant neglect compared with those who had normal cognition or only impaired RF. Maternal EF and RF had independent and combined effects on infant neglect. Interventions with maternal EF and RF as targets are promising for reducing infant neglect.

The effects of childhood maltreatment on adolescent non-suicidal self-injury behavior: mediating role of impulsivity

Background

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) severely challenges mental health in adolescents. Childhood maltreatment experience acts as high-risk factor for adolescents to engage in NSSI behaviors. On the other hand, impulsivity or loss of control sets the threshold for NSSI execution. Here we examined the effects of childhood maltreatment on adolescent NSSI-related clinical outcomes and the potential role of impulsivity.

Methods

We assessed the clinical data of 160 hospitalized NSSI adolescents and recruited 64 age-matched healthy subjects as a control group. The clinical symptoms of NSSI are expressed by the NSSI frequency, depression, and anxiety measured by the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Childhood maltreatment and impulsivity were assessed with Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale.

Results

The results showed that when compared to HC group, NSSI group is more likely to experience childhood maltreatment. Notably, NSSI group with Childhood maltreatment accompanies higher trait impulsivity and exacerbated clinical outcomes, such as NSSI frequency, depression and anxiety symptoms. Mediation analyses indicated that the association between childhood maltreatment and NSSI-related clinical outcomes was partially explained by impulsivity.

Conclusion

We found that NSSI adolescents have a higher proportion of childhood maltreatment. Impulsivity plays a mediating role between childhood maltreatment and NSSI behaviors.

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.

Gender-based differences in interaction effects between childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use on college students' depression and anxiety symptoms

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use are risk factors for depression and anxiety symptoms among college students. However, how the interaction between the two factors affects depression and anxiety has yet to be validated. This study aimed to investigate the independent and interaction effects of childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use on depression and anxiety among college students and explored gender-based differences in these associations.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to December 2019. We collected data from 7623 students at two colleges in Hefei and Anqing cities in Anhui Province, China. Multinomial logistic regression models were performed to explore the associations of childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use with depression and anxiety symptoms and their interaction effects on depression and anxiety symptoms.

RESULTS

Childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use were significantly associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety symptoms (P < 0.001). Moreover, following adjustments for covariates, there was a multiplicative interaction between childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use on depression and anxiety symptoms (P < 0.001). Gender-based differences were also observed in the associations. For instance, depression was more common in males and male students with childhood maltreatment were at higher risk of depression-only symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Focusing on childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use could facilitate a reduction in the occurrence of depression and anxiety symptoms in college students. Furthermore, it is necessary to develop gender-targeted intervention strategies.

Regional superficial amygdala resting-state functional connectivity in adults infers childhood maltreatment severity

Background

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a potential risk factor for some neuropsychiatric disorders in adulthood (e.g. depression and anxiety) and alters trajectories of brain development. Accumulating evidence suggests that functional connectivity of the limbic system, especially the amygdala, is highly associated with childhood maltreatment, although not all studies have found this. These inconsistent results may be due to differential alterations of amygdala resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) following childhood maltreatment.

Objective

Our aim was to investigate the relationship between the rsFC of amygdala subregions and CM severity, as well as to develop a stable rsFC-based model for inferring the severity of CM.

Methods

In this study, we employed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) to assess CM severity in each individual. We explored the relationship between the rsFC of amygdala subregions (i.e. centromedial -CMA, basolateral -BLA, superficial-SFA amygdala) and CM experience in a discovery dataset of n = 110 healthy Chinese participants by linear multiple regression analysis. Subsequent dimensional and categorical approach were performed to elucidate the relationship between rsFCs and CM severity and CM subtypes, respectively. A support vector regression model was then conducted to validate the associations between rsFCs and total CTQ scores. Moreover, we also verified the model into another independent replication dataset (n = 38).

Results

Our findings suggested that childhood maltreatment was negatively associated with rsFC between the right superficial amygdala and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC)/postcentral gyrus (PCG) but not the other two amygdala subregions. Moreover, SFA-pgACC coupling was more associated with physical neglect whereas the SFA-PCG was more related to emotional neglect. In addition, supervised machine learning confirmed that using these two rsFCs as predictors could stably estimate continuous maltreatment severity in both discovery and replication datasets.

Conclusion

The current study supports that the rsFCs of superficial amygdala are related to childhood maltreatment and which may be a potential biomarker for the effects of childhood maltreatment-related psychiatric disorders (i.e. depression and anxiety).

Childhood adversity and depression in Chinese populations: A multilevel meta-analysis of studies using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ)

To estimate the association between childhood adversity (CA) and depression in Chinese populations in studies using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), a literature retrieval from established databases between 2005 and 2020 was conducted. A total 40 eligible studies with 145 effect sizes were included in subsequent analyses. Using a multi-level meta-analysis, we found a pooled effect size of r = 0.24, p < 0.001, CI = [0.20, 0.27] for the association between CA and depression. No publication bias was shown by Egger's test, t (160) = -0.27, p = 0.79. The between-study variance was moderate but significant, with 39.75% of the total variance attributable to differences between studies. Results of moderation analysis based on subtypes of CA showed that emotional abuse was associated most strongly with depression. In addition, results of moderation analysis focusing on geographic regions and CTQ subscales showed that the association between SA and depression was stronger in Southern than Central China. Our findings demonstrated clearly the advantages of using a multi-level approach to arrive at a more accurate estimate of pooled effect sizes. The differential associations between CTQ subscales and depression and the moderating effect of geographic regions on the association between sexual abuse and depression point clearly to the need of increased attention to the effects of CA subtypes and socio-cultural factors in future research on CA and mental disorders. These findings provide a preliminary empirical basis for researchers to address specific hypotheses of associations between CA subtypes and specific mental disorders in China.

The relationship between childhood trauma and insomnia among college students with major depressive disorder: Mediation by the role of negative life events and dysfunctional attitudes

BACKGROUND

Insomnia is a common problem among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). According to previous studies, the development and severity of Insomnia are influenced by childhood trauma experience. Furthermore, negative life events and dysfunctional attitudes may also mediate the impact. So, this study aimed to examine the association between childhood trauma, negative life events, dysfunctional attitudes and insomnia and investigate how negative life events and dysfunctional attitudes mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and insomnia in MDD.

METHOD

This cross-sectional study recruited 621 college students with MDD. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Life Event Scale (LES), Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Hamilton Depression Scale-17 (HAMD-17) were used to assess participants' psychosocial factors. Descriptive analysis, Chi-square test, t-test, Pearson correlations, and serial mediation analyses were used in data analysis. In order to eliminate the influence of the severity of depression symptoms, severity of depression symptoms was used as a control variable in this study.

RESULTS

There were 166 (26.7%) participants having clinical insomnia (ISI score > 14). After controlling for the effect of severity of depression symptoms, results of serial mediation analyses determined that childhood trauma has a direct (Estimate = 0.109, 95%CI: 0.023,0.190) and indirect (Estimate = 0.090, 95%CI: 0.054,0.137) impact to insomnia. The indirect impact of childhood trauma on insomnia through the pathways of negative life events alone (Estimate = 0.050, 95%CI: 0.024,0.093), dysfunctional attitudes alone (Estimate = 0.027, 95%CI: 0.008,0.050), and negative life events to dysfunctional attitudes (Estimate = 0.013, 95%CI: 0.006,0.024) were significant.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that screening for childhood trauma should be considered when treating insomnia in college students with MDD. Managing negative life events and dysfunctional attitudes may mitigate the negative impact of childhood trauma on insomnia in college students with MDD.

The relation between childhood maltreatment and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in emerging adults: A daily diary study

BACKGROUND

Prior research has reported that childhood maltreatment is associated with poor well-being, but few studies have examined the association between childhood maltreatment and well-being including hedonic and eudaimonic well-being using a daily diary method.

OBJECTIVE

The present study investigated the association between childhood maltreatment and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, and explored the mediating effects of social support and self-esteem.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data were collected applying a 14-day daily diary method in two samples. A total of 120 Chinese emerging adults (100 female; M_age = 20.48 years, age range = 18-24 years) and 229 Chinese emerging adults (187 female; M_age = 20.43 years, age range = 18-27 years) comprised the discovery sample and the replication sample, respectively.

METHODS

Multilevel regression analysis and multilevel mediation analysis were conducted, while controlling for sex, age, and socioeconomic status.

RESULTS

In the discovery sample, the multilevel regression analysis showed that childhood maltreatment had an equal effect on predicting the two types of well-being. Additionally, the multilevel mediation analysis demonstrated that social support and self-esteem acted as independent and equally important mediators of the associations between childhood maltreatment and the two types of well-being. Moreover, the total indirect effect on the childhood maltreatment-hedonic well-being link had no significant difference from that on the childhood maltreatment-eudaimonic well-being link. The replication sample reconfirmed the results of the discovery sample, which provides greater credibility to our findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Social support and self-esteem might help to improve the well-being of emerging adults who have suffered childhood maltreatment, and might therefore be important intervention targets.

Child Maltreatment, Abuse, and Neglect: An Umbrella Review of Their Prevalence and Definitions

Objective

Child maltreatment (CM) is a recognized public health problem, and epidemiologic data suggest that it is a widespread phenomenon, albeit with widely varying estimates. Indeed, CM as well as child abuse (CA) and neglect (CN) are complex phenomena that are difficult to study for several reasons, including terminological and definitional problems that pose a hurdle to estimating epidemiological rates. Therefore, the main aim of this umbrella review is to revise recent review data on the epidemiology of CM, CA, and CN. A second aim was to revise the definitions used.

Method

A systematic search of three databases was performed in March 2022. Recent reviews (published in the last 5 years: 2017-March 2022) addressing the epidemiological rates of CM, CA, and/or CN were included.

Results

Of the 314 documents retrieved by the selected search strategy, the eligibility assessment yielded a total of 29 eligible documents. Because of the great heterogeneity among them, a qualitative rather than a quantitative synthesis was performed.

Conclusions

The data from this umbrella review show that the different age groups, methods, and instruments used in the literature to collect the data on the epidemiology of CM make it difficult to compare the results. Although definitions appear to be quite homogeneous, CM categorization varies widely across studies. Furthermore, this umbrella review shows that the CM reviews considered do not examine some particular forms of CM such as parental overprotection. The results are discussed in detail throughout the paper.

Childhood Maltreatment and Creativity among Chinese College Students: A Serial Mediation Model

Creativity plays a very crucial impact on our cultural life and has also been important to the improvement of human civilization. Numerous studies have indicated that family circumstance plays an important role in the development of individual creativity. However, little is known about the mediating mechanisms underlying the association between childhood maltreatment and creativity. This study intended to explore the serial multiple mediation model in which undergraduates' cognitive flexibility and self-efficacy were proposed to mediate the potential influence of childhood maltreatment on their creativity. Participants were 1069 undergraduates (573 males and 496 females, mean age was 20.57 ± 1.24 years ranging from 17 to 24) from a university in Shandong Province, China. Participants were required to complete an internet survey including the Short Form of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), and Williams Creativity Aptitude Test (WCAT). Serial multiple mediation analysis and the bootstrap method were used to investigate the mediation effects of cognitive flexibility and self-efficacy. The results showed that childhood maltreatment indirectly influenced undergraduates' creativity through three indirect paths: childhood maltreatment→cognitive flexibility→creativity, childhood maltreatment→self-efficacy→creativity, and childhood maltreatment→cognitive flexibility→self-efficacy→creativity. The ratios of the total indirect effects and branch-indirect effects to the total effects were 92.73%, 34.61%, 35.68%, and 22.44%, respectively. These results indicated that cognitive flexibility and self-efficacy could completely mediate the potential impact of childhood maltreatment on individuals creativity.

Joint effects of recent stressful life events and adverse childhood experiences on perinatal comorbid anxiety and depression

BACKGROUND

Stressful life events (SLEs) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been reported to be associated with perinatal depression (PND) or perinatal anxiety (PNA) alone; however, in most cases, majority of PND and PNA coexist and could lead to more serious health consequences. The independent effect of recent SLEs and their joint effects with ACEs on perinatal comorbid anxiety and depression (CAD) remain inadequately explored.

METHODS

Based on a longitudinal study, 1082 participants receiving prenatal care in Ma'anshan, China were included. Women were recruited in the first trimester (T1: ≤14^+ 6 weeks) and followed up at 15 ~ 27 weeks (T2), 28 ~ 40 weeks (T3), and postpartum (T4). Depression and anxiety status were assessed at all time points, while recent SLEs and ACEs were measured at T1. Logistic regression was conducted to examine the associations of SLEs with the risks of CAD at different time points, as well as their joint effects with ACEs on CAD.

RESULTS

Approximately 38.5% of women experienced at least one SLE, which was significantly associated with higher risks of CAD at all time points (p < 0.05). As the number of SLEs increased, the risk of CAD increased (p for trend < 0.05). Specific types of SLEs were associated with CAD in different periods, while only interpersonal events were consistently associated with risks of CAD throughout the whole perinatal period. The joint effects of SLEs with ACEs on CAD were identified throughout the perinatal period, with the highest observed in the first trimester (aOR = 7.47, 95% CI: 3.73-14.95; p for trend < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated independent associations of recent SLEs and their joint effects with ACEs with risks of perinatal CAD. SLEs combined with ACEs should be recognized as a major risk factor for perinatal CAD and managed at the earliest time to prevent and control CAD.

Childhood traumas among nursing students and associated factors

The present study aimed to determine the level of childhood traumas among nursing students and to identify the factors associated with these traumas. This was a cross-sectional study, including 1810 nursing students studying at the nursing department of any university in Turkey. The data were collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and an online questionnaire consisting of questions related to sociodemographic characteristics. The results of these questionnaires indicated that the level of childhood traumas was low among nursing students and that they had experienced emotional neglect more frequently than sexual abuse. Moreover, this study identified possible factors associated with childhood trauma among these students. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Nursing students with a history of trauma or current trauma can be guided to participate in activities that improve their resilience. In addition, specific courses may be included in the nursing education curriculum to increase the awareness on this topic among these students.

Cumulative childhood trauma and cybervictimization among Chinese college students: Internet addiction as a mediator and roommate relationships as a moderator

Existing studies have found that childhood trauma is a risk predictor of cybervictimization, but few studies have explored the relationship between cumulative childhood trauma and college students' cybervictimization. This study explored the relationship and the roles of Internet addiction and Internet victimization between them. A total of 854 college students (568 females, M age = 18.92 years, SD = 0.86) completed a survey including the Short Form of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Cyberbullying Inventory, the Young's Internet Addiction Scale, and the revised Roommate Relationships Questionnaire. The results showed that: (1) cumulative childhood trauma was significantly positively associated with cybervictimization; (2) Internet addiction played a mediating role between cumulative childhood trauma and cybervictimization; and (3) roommate relationships played a moderating role between cumulative childhood trauma and cybervictimization, as well as Internet addiction and cybervictimization. The research findings provide a theoretical and practical basis for the prevention and intervention of college students' cybervictimization.

Roles of Psychological Distress and Social Support in the Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Perceived Needs for Mental Health Care

Childhood maltreatment is a major public health issue worldwide. It increases a range of health-risk behaviors, psychological and physical problems, which are associated with an increased need for mental health services in adulthood. Identification of mediating factors in the relationship between maltreatment and seeking mental health care may help attenuate the negative consequences of childhood maltreatment and promote more appropriate treatment. This study aims to examine whether the relationship between childhood maltreatment and perceived need for mental health care is mediated by psychological distress and/or moderated by social support. Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health 2012 are analyzed. A total of 8,993 participants, who had complete information on childhood maltreatment and diagnoses of mental disorders or psychological distress, are included in this study. Structural equation modeling and the PROCESS macro were used to identify relationships among childhood maltreatment, perceived needs for mental health care, and psychological distress. Hierarchical linear regression was then used to verify the moderated mediation model. We found that psychological distress partially mediated the effect of childhood maltreatment on perceived needs for mental health care in adulthood. Social support played an important role in terms of moderating the relationship between maltreatment and perceived needs for care. For those with a history of childhood maltreatment, those who perceived a low level of social support were more likely to have higher levels of psychological distress and perceived need for mental health care. This is the first study to identify the separate and combined roles of psychological distress and social support in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and perceived need for mental health care. Selective prevention strategies should focus on social support to improve mental health services among people with a history of childhood maltreatment.

Examining Sexual Crime Severity in China: A General-specific Model on Sex Offending Against Adults

Sexual violence severity has long been viewed as a critical factor of sex offending. However, the criminological viewpoints on sexual violence severity have not received much attention, especially in the Chinese context. By integrating general-criminogenic (inhibitory mechanisms) and specific sex offending (learning mechanisms and contextual factors) perspectives, the current study links the propositions of social control (bonds) theory, self-control theory, differential association theory, and the integrated theory of sex offending, proposing a general-specific model for sexual violence severity. Survey data was collected from 250 Chinese offenders who committed sexual offenses against adults. The mediation analysis found that deviant peer association fully mediates the effects of social control and low self-control on sexual violence severity. The moderation analysis showed that substance abuse exaggerates the impact of deviant peer association on sexual violence severity, while sex purchasing mitigates this relationship. This general-specific model may expand our current understanding of sexual violence severity from both criminological and psychological perspectives.

The mediating effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels on childhood trauma and psychiatric symptoms in patients with first-episode schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have implicated childhood trauma and abnormal brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Here, we explored whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and psychopathological symptoms in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

METHODS

Patients with first-episode schizophrenia (n = 192) and healthy controls (n = 136) were enrolled. Childhood traumatic experiences and psychopathology were assessed by Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantify brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels.

RESULTS

The patients with first-episode schizophrenia experienced more severe childhood trauma and had lower serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels than healthy controls. Emotional abuse and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire total score showed positive correlation with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive, general psychopathological subscore and total score. Emotional neglect showed positive correlation with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive subscore. Physical neglect was positively associated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale negative subscore. Emotional neglect and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire total score were negatively correlated with serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. The serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels mediated the relationship between both Childhood Trauma Questionnaire total score and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total score and negative symptoms in the patients. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels also mediated the relationship between emotional neglect and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total score in the patients.

CONCLUSION

Childhood trauma might contribute to the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia by affecting brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. Perhaps we can prevent schizophrenia by reducing childhood traumatic experiences.

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 Role of Qi-Stagnation Constitution and Emotion Regulation in the Association Between Childhood Maltreatment and Depression in Chinese College Students

Background

Childhood maltreatment is known as a significant risk factor for later depression. However, there remains a lack of understanding about the mechanisms through which childhood maltreatment confers risk for depression. This study explores how Qi-stagnation constitution (QSC) and emotion regulation affect the link between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms in Chinese college students.

Methods

We recruited 2,108 college students aged 18-25 years between November 2020 and December 2021. Participants were required to complete four self-report questionnaires, including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Qi-Stagnation Constitution (QSC) subscale of the simplified Chinese Medicine Constitution Questionnaire, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Moderated mediation analyses were conducted.

Results

There was a positive correlation between childhood maltreatment and QSC, while the QSC partially mediated the effect of childhood maltreatment on depressive scores in college students. In addition, emotion dysregulation moderated the association between QSC and depressive scores.

Conclusion

These results enhance understanding of key factors influencing the link between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms among college students by combining the theory of TCM constitution with psychological processes. The development of strategies to prevent biased Qi-stagnation constitution and emotion dysregulation may help to improve college students' mental health and strengthen the resilience of individuals to depression.

Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (Short Form) Across Genders, Time Points and Presence of Major Depressive Disorder Among Chinese Adolescents

Purpose

The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) is a widely used self-report tool designed to assess juveniles' experiences of abuse and neglect. The current study examined the psychometric properties, particularly measurement invariance of the CTQ-SF in Chinese non-clinical adolescents and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods

Participants included 1,507 high school students (non-clinical sample) from Hunan Province and 281 adolescent patients with major depressive disorder (MDD sample) from The Second Xiangya Hospital. We examined the reliability and validity of CTQ-SF, confirm the five-factor model of the CTQ-SF. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the measurement invariance across genders, presence of depression, and over time.

Results

The CTQ-SF had good internal consistency in a non-clinical sample (Cronbach's α = 0.85) and MDD sample (Cronbach's α = 0.86). Good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.72) and Adequate validity were also observed. Good fit of the five-factor CTQ-SF model was confirmed in both samples. Multiple-group CFA confirmed that the CTQ-SF had the scalar invariance across genders and the presence of MDD, as well as over time.

Conclusion

The CTQ-SF is an effective and reliable tool for assessing child maltreatment in Chinese adolescents (non-clinical sample and MDD sample). The results suggest that the horizontal and longitudinal invariance of CTQ-SF are strongly established, which means CTQ-SF can be meaningfully used to compare outcomes among Chinese adolescents (non-clinical sample and MDD sample). The experience of child maltreatment, especially neglect (emotional and physical), was found to be common in Chinese adolescents.