Child Abuse & Neglect最新文献

{"title":"Developing quality standards for community-based online child sexual exploitation and abuse interventions","authors":"Larissa Engelmann ,&nbsp;Christine A. Weirich ,&nbsp;Corinne May-Chahal","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107444","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107444","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA) is also an offline problem. OCSEA continues to overwhelm law enforcement, but limited evidence to support effective prevention strategies signals the need for urgent action. Quality standards offer an approach to support measurable community prevention efforts.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>To understand how police, partner agencies, parents and children address OCSEA. Based on co-produced priorities, develop the first quality standards framework and approach aimed at preventing OCSEA offline, within local communities.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Researchers engaged with over sixty people in one English Local Authority, including children (6–18 years old), parents, social workers, police, educators, council staff, youth workers, and health professionals.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study employed a locality-based mixed-methods design. A rapid appraisal of local policy and practice was conducted through desk research and an analysis of police case files (<em>N</em> = 185), in addition to interviews (<em>n</em> = 18), focus groups (<em>n</em> = 11), and observations (<em>n</em> = 2). Co-production workshops created priorities which formed the foundation for quality standards.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A whole system approach empowers communities to take charge of a problem that cannot be addressed in isolation by police or online services. Inconsistent responses and OCSEA committed by children present a significant challenge to practitioners, children and parents. The voice of children and parents needs strengthening. Eleven response priorities and six quality standards were co-produced.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This work presents novel research into the development of quality standards to prevent and address OCSEA. It provides a blueprint for possible transfer and adaptation to other localities both within and beyond the UK.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"164 ","pages":"Article 107444"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143817330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research on the impact and pathways of childhood trauma on the health status of middle-aged and elderly people","authors":"Huiling Dong ,&nbsp;Heting Wu ,&nbsp;Yue Wang ,&nbsp;Bingyi Wu ,&nbsp;Yuhong Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107441","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107441","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Childhood trauma can shape one's life trajectories, with implications in later years. While some studies have investigated the effects of childhood trauma on the health of older adults, these researches remain limited on the pathways through which childhood trauma affects their health status.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To explore the impact and pathways of childhood trauma on the health status of middle-aged and elderly people, providing empirical evidence for enhancing health levels.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The data from the 2014 life course survey and 2018 cross-sectional survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were analyzed, focusing on individuals aged 45 and above. Using 15,812 observed samples and employing multiple mediation models, this study analyzed the impacts and pathways of childhood trauma on the health status of middle-aged and elderly people.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Controlling for age, marital status, household registration, and activities of daily living (ADL), the total effect of childhood physical trauma on self-rated health was −0.059 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), with a direct effect of −0.057 (P &lt; 0.001) and an indirect effect of 0.002. Physical trauma had indirect impacts through education level, behavioral lifestyle, and utilization of medical health services. The total effect of childhood emotional trauma on self-rated health was −0.048 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), with a direct effect of −0.050 (P &lt; 0.001) and an indirect effect of 0.002. Emotional trauma had an indirect impact on educational level and social participation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Childhood physical and emotional traumas have a sustained negative effect on self-rated health of middle-aged and elderly people, but the degree of influence and pathways are different. Therefore, it is necessary to provide effective support measures for children who have experienced childhood trauma throughout their entire lifecycle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"164 ","pages":"Article 107441"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143800435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Childhood trauma and maternal perinatal depression during COVID-19: A stress sensitization hypothesis","authors":"Gabrielle Duguay ,&nbsp;Julia Garon-Bissonnette ,&nbsp;Roxanne Lemieux ,&nbsp;Karine Dubois-Comtois ,&nbsp;Nicolas Berthelot","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107443","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107443","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Perinatal depressive symptoms (PDS) are a risk factor for maternal well-being during and following pregnancy as well as for infant development. COVID studies documented a definite increase in PDS during this period of heightened stress, but also highlighted that all women were not equally at risk of perinatal depression. This calls for the identification of factors that could contribute to sensitizing certain individuals to populational stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Based on the stress sensitization model, this study aimed to evaluate the associations between childhood trauma (CT) and depressive symptoms in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic at four timepoints (two prenatal and two postnatal).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A sample of Canadian mothers (N = 117, Mage = 29.77 years, SD = 3.18, 63.2 % primiparous, 98.3 % White, 23.1 % with history of CT) completed self-reported measures of CT (CTQ) and depressive symptoms (EPDS) during the first or second (T1) and the third trimester of pregnancy (T2), as well as at 2 months (T3) and 6 months (T4) postpartum. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were performed using MPlus.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Maternal severity of CT was directly associated with pre- and postnatal depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. CT was also indirectly associated with postnatal depressive symptoms via prenatal depressive symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>CT had an enduring association with postnatal depressive symptomatology in part due to its role in prenatal depression during the first COVID-19 outbreak. The implications of the results for perinatal care will be discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"164 ","pages":"Article 107443"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Injury, child and family/contextual factors predict neurodevelopment outcomes after abusive head trauma","authors":"Amy K. Connery ,&nbsp;William A. Anastasiadis ,&nbsp;Daniel M. Lindberg ,&nbsp;Sarah Graber ,&nbsp;Antonia Chiesa ,&nbsp;David M. Mirsky ,&nbsp;Nicholas Stence ,&nbsp;Michael Dichiaro ,&nbsp;Ricka Messer ,&nbsp;Casey Madison ,&nbsp;Angela H. Lee ,&nbsp;Ligia Batista ,&nbsp;Robin L. Peterson","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107438","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107438","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>There is a lack of consensus on how best to measure injury severity in abusive head trauma in order to predict long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>We hypothesized that a constellation of injury-related variables along with child and family variables would more accurately predict outcomes in children who have sustained an AHT than the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) alone.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>In 2012–2020, we enrolled 270 patients (median age 4.6 months) treated for AHT at a large tertiary care children's hospital who survived their injuries and came to a multi-disciplinary follow-up clinic.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Exploratory analyses examined bivariate relationships of injury severity and child and family variables with neurodevelopmental outcomes, as measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, using Pearson correlations, independent samples <em>t</em>-tests, and one-way ANOVAs. These exploratory analyses informed the selection of variables for stepwise multivariate regressions predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Stepwise regression revealed that a constellation of injury-related variables including cytotoxic edema, length of intensive care stay, neurosurgical intervention, seizures, intubation, eye injuries, and abnormal spine imaging explained significantly more variance in Bayley scores than GCS alone (14–22 %, all <em>p</em>-values &lt; .01). The largest effect sizes were for measures of hospital course (length of intensive care stay, neurosurgical intervention, seizures, and intubation). Including child and family variables explained an additional 6–10 % of the variance (all <em>p</em>-values &lt; .05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>A constellation of injury-related variables, especially those related to hospital course, was more predictive of neurodevelopment than solely GCS for children with AHT.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"164 ","pages":"Article 107438"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social contexts of isolation, vulnerability, and resilience among minors with experiences of commercial sexual exploitation in the Netherlands","authors":"Ieke de Vries ,&nbsp;Sarah Ebrahem ,&nbsp;Daan Donninger ,&nbsp;Berber van der Meer ,&nbsp;Sjoerd van Bemmel","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107439","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107439","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Despite extensive research on vulnerabilities to commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) of minors, knowledge gaps remain in understanding the broader contextual conditions that put young people at risk for CSE. Individual risk factors alone are insufficient to capture the broader context of risk; ‘contextual vulnerability’ to CSE requires further exploration.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study provides an empirically-driven theoretical framework that unpacks vulnerability and resilience to CSE, focusing on the socioecological context of minors, including family, friends, schools, neighborhoods, institutions, and others.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Data were obtained from an online platform in the Netherlands, where young people anonymously shared experiences of CSE by engaging in conversations with online care providers. The sample included conversations from 240 minors with CSE experiences between 2019 and 2022.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A constructivist grounded theory method was used, combining inductive coding to identify patterns and themes in the data with deductive reasoning to link themes to theoretical concepts, generating new theoretical insights into the socioecological aspects of vulnerability.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Three key themes emerged from the findings: (1) minors often faced <em>social isolation</em> within unsafe or unstable family environments, with limited external support; (2) relationships beyond the family, when unsafe or unstable, contributed to minors' <em>social vulnerability</em> due to withdrawal, heightened exposure to harm, and distrust in formal institutions; and (3) positive experiences and supportive relationships across socioecological levels fostered <em>social resilience</em> and mitigated harm.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>A socioecological approach is needed to unpack contextual vulnerability to CSE and should guide prevention and intervention strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"164 ","pages":"Article 107439"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Childhood adversity and empathy in eating disorders: Exploring transdiagnostic profiles and socio-emotional functioning","authors":"Paolo Meneguzzo ,&nbsp;Alberto De Mico ,&nbsp;Laura Maragno ,&nbsp;Anna Marzotto ,&nbsp;Fabio Conti ,&nbsp;Luca Maggi ,&nbsp;Barbara Mezzani ,&nbsp;Patrizia Todisco","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107445","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107445","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including abuse and neglect, have been associated with difficulties in developing empathy. People with eating disorders (EDs) often report higher rates of ACE and display empathy-related impairments, which may contribute to maladaptive interpersonal functioning.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study explored the associations between childhood adversities and empathy-related outcomes in individuals with ED compared to a general population sample (GP).</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Participants included 210 people with EDs (94 anorexia nervosa restrictive, 34 binge-purge anorexia nervosa, 36 bulimia nervosa, 36 binge-eating disorder, 24 OSFED) from national ED clinics and 151 participants from the GP.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Empathy Quotient (EQ). Multivariate analyzes evaluated group differences and associations between specific forms of childhood adversity and subdomains of EQ: cognitive empathy (CE), emotional reactivity (ER) and social skills (SS).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>ACEs were more prevalent in the ED group (56 %) than in the GP (33 %, χ² = 31.81, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). Emotional abuse and neglect were associated with a lower ER and SS, and physical neglect was associated with a reduction in CE and ER. No significant effects for physical or sexual abuse. Group membership alone was not associated with empathy outcomes. Cluster analysis identified two profiles: one with high trauma exposure and lower empathy, and another with lower trauma and more preserved socio-emotional functioning.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Findings highlight the specific impact of emotional forms of childhood adversity on empathy in EDs and support trauma-informed, individualized interventions based on socio-emotional profiles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"164 ","pages":"Article 107445"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143783224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Child sexual abuse reporting: Trends and challenges before, during, and after COVID-19 school closures in Georgia, USA","authors":"Spencer E. Riner ,&nbsp;Akiv J. Dawson ,&nbsp;Jessica Smith Schwind ,&nbsp;Amanda Graham ,&nbsp;Chad Posick","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107434","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107434","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread school closures, raising concerns that reduced contact with mandated reporters would result in underreporting of child sexual abuse (CSA). However, limited empirical research has examined how school closures influenced CSA reporting trends.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study investigated whether COVID-19 school closures were associated with varying demographic characteristics of CSA reports in Georgia.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) Child File 2019–2021 was used to inform the following research questions in Georgia: 1) What were the demographic characteristics of CSA victims between 2019 and 2021?; 2) Were the COVID-19 school closures associated with the demographic differences (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic circumstances, prior victimization, etc.) in CSA reports?</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The findings from this study supported the hypothesis that COVID-19 school closures diminished CSA reporting for some victim groups. The largest proportion of reports involved racial/ethnic minority children (49.9 %), girls (83.0 %), and elementary school-aged children (39.0 %). Prior victimization was noted in 17.2 % of cases, and nearly half of the reports involved children from single-parent households (45.0 %). Proportions of some victim sociodemographic characteristics significantly differed across each of the time periods examined.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>COVID-19 school closures led to a decline in CSA reporting for certain victim groups and shifts in victim demographics in Georgia, underscoring the need for future research, policy adaptations, and interventions to address these reporting gaps and ensure more equitable protection for vulnerable children in times of public health emergencies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"164 ","pages":"Article 107434"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143769328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the impact of No Hit Zone trainings in preschool-age childcare facilities for child maltreatment prevention: A quasi-experimental pilot study","authors":"Christina M. Rodriguez ,&nbsp;Kirsten Swedburg Ericksen ,&nbsp;Viola Vaughan-Eden ,&nbsp;Breshell Jackson-Nevels ,&nbsp;Stacie LeBlanc ,&nbsp;Paige Munshell","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107432","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107432","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Corporal punishment represents a risk factor for child physical maltreatment but viewed as acceptable by many in the U.S.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study investigated the effectiveness of No Hit Zone (NHZ) training in changing attitudes related to corporal punishment (CP) among staff and mothers at preschool-age childcare facilities.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Employing a quasi-experimental design, the timing of NHZ training was staggered across three childcare facilities at five intervals, with 24 staff and 20 mothers completing repeated assessments. Staff reported on their CP approval, willingness to intervene when witnessing hitting on site, familiarity with institutional policies, at-risk parenting beliefs, attributions of negative child intent, support for ineffective class management strategies, and knowledge of non-physical discipline alternatives; mothers reported on their CP approval, at-risk parenting beliefs, and knowledge of alternatives to physical discipline.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Findings support change over time, specifically with a decrease in staff CP approval and at-risk parenting and increased willingness to intervene, with some evidence these effects were sustained over time. Mothers' CP approval and at-risk parenting also decreased following the facility's NHZ training.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Findings from this study suggest that NHZ trainings can impact attitudes that could contribute to the prevention of child maltreatment. Future directions are suggested on how to expand on such research designs to inform and enhance implementation of NHZ training in educational settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"164 ","pages":"Article 107432"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143748430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The economic burden of child maltreatment and co-occurring parental domestic violence and abuse in the UK","authors":"Kevin Herbert ,&nbsp;Gene Feder ,&nbsp;Ruth Gilbert ,&nbsp;Claire Powell ,&nbsp;Emma Howarth ,&nbsp;Stephen Morris","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107435","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107435","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Child maltreatment (CM) and parental domestic violence and abuse (pDVA) impose considerable lifelong adverse outcomes on those affected. Despite sharing multiple family and environmental risk factors, the economic burden of child exposure where they co-occur has not previously been estimated in detail.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To estimate average lifetime societal costs resulting from CM or childhood exposure to pDVA, and incremental costs for scenarios where they co-occur.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, G1 (child) cohort.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We developed a model to estimate lifetime societal costs (2019 GBP) for fatal and non-fatal exposure to CM and/or pDVA for the study sample. Total lifetime costs per child exposed, total UK economic burden, and UK government-specific costs were then estimated for the cohort of children born in the UK in 2013.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Lifetime costs for childhood exposure to CM and/or pDVA, were £71,309 per child (non-fatal exposure), and £1,292,377 per CM fatality, with £27.8 billion projected costs (2013 UK birth cohort). Total costs for exposure to pDVA alone was £1.0 billion (£16,639 per child exposed), rising to £2.0 billion (£71,037 per exposed child) for children reporting awareness of pDVA. Co-occurring CM and pDVA imposed greater costs than either alone, including costs from child perpetration of intimate partner violence.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>CM and/or pDVA exposure incurs large personal and societal economic burdens, and costs from both pDVA exposure and intergenerational transmission of IPV perpetration, highlight the importance for policies to address both CM and domestic violence and abuse in affected households.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"163 ","pages":"Article 107435"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143739093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Epistemic mistrust mediates the association between childhood maltreatment and impairments in mentalizing in a sample of university students","authors":"Nicola-Hans Schwarzer ,&nbsp;Nöelle Behringer ,&nbsp;Paula Dees ,&nbsp;Stephan Gingelmaier ,&nbsp;Melanie Henter ,&nbsp;Holger Kirsch ,&nbsp;Tillmann Kreuzer ,&nbsp;Robert Langnickel ,&nbsp;Pierre-Carl Link ,&nbsp;Sascha Müller ,&nbsp;Agnes Turner ,&nbsp;Peter Fonagy ,&nbsp;Tobias Nolte","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107436","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107436","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Mentalizing is linked to mental health development and psychosocial functioning. Identifying and understanding the factors that may be associated with ineffective mentalizing is crucial for creating targeted psychosocial or psychotherapeutic interventions.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This exploratory study assesses whether experiences of childhood maltreatment, along with attachment insecurity and epistemic mistrust, are associated with limitations in mentalizing abilities.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>A total of 382 primarily young adults from different universities completed questionnaires about their childhood maltreatment experiences (retrospectively assessed), attachment insecurity, epistemic mistrust, and ineffective mentalizing, using a cross-sectional study design. All participants were pursuing a degree in educational fields.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypothesized framework.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There were significant positive associations between experiences of childhood maltreatment, epistemic mistrust (<em>β</em> = 0.32 [0.17–0.46], <em>p</em> = .001), and attachment insecurity (<em>β</em> = 0.29 [0.18–0.40], <em>p</em> &lt; .001). Epistemic mistrust fully mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and ineffective mentalizing (<em>β</em> = 0.17 [0.08–0.28], <em>p</em> = .001). However, attachment insecurity did not mediate this link.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This exploratory study sheds light on the development of mentalizing impairments, though it is limited by its cross-sectional nature, reliance on self-reporting, and the uniformity of the sample with mainly female, primarily young adults from different universities. The preliminary findings suggest the role of attachment insecurity might have been overemphasized previously. Moreover, the link between childhood maltreatment and mentalizing deficits appears more intricate, as it was fully mediated by epistemic mistrust in this study. The findings support the notion of addressing epistemic mistrust in psychosocial interventions designed to improve mentalizing abilities that have been compromised.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"163 ","pages":"Article 107436"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143739667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}