Child Abuse & Neglect最新文献

{"title":"Maternal history of maltreatment interacts with DNA methylation patterns to predict infant temperament","authors":"Kendall C. Parks ,&nbsp;Jessica L. Buthmann ,&nbsp;Ai Ling Teh ,&nbsp;Li Chen ,&nbsp;Helen Y. Chen ,&nbsp;Ian H. Gotlib","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) has been associated with subsequent difficult infant temperament. Further, maternal CM and maladaptive infant outcomes have each been linked, separately, to increased methylation in umbilical cord blood of CpG sites in genes related to the stress response and inflammatory markers. Researchers have not yet examined the nature of the interactions of these factors or whether DNA methylation (DNAm) mediates or moderates the association of maternal CM with infant temperament.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>We tested whether DNAm mediates or moderates the association between maternal CM and infant temperament.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Longitudinal data from 144 mother-infant dyads were analyzed.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>DNAm in umbilical cord blood, history of maternal CM, and infant temperament were assessed at age three months. Principal components analysis identified one methylation component with CpG sites related to the following hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis genes: <em>ADRA1B</em>, <em>CRHBP</em>, <em>CREBBP</em>, <em>HSD11B1</em>, <em>HTR2A</em>, <em>NCOR2</em>, and <em>NR3C1</em>.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Higher DNAm levels were associated with stronger effects of maternal CM, driven in particular by maternal childhood abuse, on difficult infant temperament.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings highlight the complexity of the relations among maternal CM, epigenetic modifications to the stress response, and infant temperament. Infants of mothers who experienced more CM, particularly abuse, exhibited more difficult temperament, a relation that was moderated by heightened methylation of HPA-axis-related CpG sites related to CM. This methylation pattern may reflect an elevated stress response that is altered by maternal CM, suggesting a fetal programming formulation that should be tested more explicitly and systematically in future research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 107650"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145103112","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":"Latent class patterns of adverse childhood experiences and mental health among National Guard recruits","authors":"Taylor A. Flowers ,&nbsp;Emily Hagel Campbell ,&nbsp;Siamak Noorbaloochi ,&nbsp;Melissa A. Polusny","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107671","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107671","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Most studies have relied on a cumulative risk approach when examining adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This approach assumes equal weighting of adversities and fails to consider how the nature, severity, and combination of ACEs may differentially impact outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Employing a person-centered approach, we identified distinct patterns of ACEs in a sample of Army National Guard recruits and investigated how these patterns relate to internalizing symptoms (i.e., self-reported mental health) and externalizing problems (i.e., substance use and rule-breaking behaviors).</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Participants were 1201 Army National Guard recruits from the Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) study.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify distinct latent classes of recruits with similar ACEs patterns. Associations between classes and mental health and behavioral outcomes of interest were examined using the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars (BCH) method.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>LCA revealed four latent classes of ACEs: (1) low adversity (51.1 %), (2) emotional and physical maltreatment (18.3 %), (3) poly-adversity (16.1 %), and (4) parental separation (14.5 %). There were no significant interclass differences found in internalizing symptoms or substance use. However, the emotional/physical maltreatment and low adversity classes showed significantly higher counts of rule-breaking behaviors than the other classes.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Findings suggest recruits enter military service reporting distinct patterns of ACEs, which are differentially associated with rule-breaking behaviors but not mental health outcomes or substance use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 107671"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145088153","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":"Uncovering the relationship between childhood maltreatment subtypes and adolescent internet addiction: Evidence from the network and mediation analysis","authors":"Jianjun Huang ,&nbsp;Xi Shen ,&nbsp;Zhongju Xie ,&nbsp;James Gaskin ,&nbsp;Chenxi Yang ,&nbsp;Jin-Liang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107687","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107687","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Childhood maltreatment has been identified as a predisposing factor for adolescent internet addiction. However, existing studies predominantly focus on overall scores of childhood maltreatment, overlooking the differential impact of five childhood maltreatment subtypes (i.e., physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect).</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To fill this gap, we aim to reveal the specific associations between childhood maltreatment subtypes and internet addiction, thereby identifying the most critical types of childhood maltreatment. The underlying mechanisms were also explored.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a large sample cross-sectional Study 1 (<em>N</em> = 9336) and a longitudinal Study 2 (<em>N</em> = 1390) to examine the relationship between childhood maltreatment subtypes and internet addiction through network analysis. Longitudinal Study 3 (<em>N</em> = 974) further explored the underlying psychological driving processes through mediation analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Emotional abuse was most strongly associated with internet addiction in both contemporaneous (Studies 1–2) and cross-lagged panel networks (Study 2). Moreover, emotional abuse was longitudinally linked to internet addiction through internalizing problems (i.e., anxiety, depression; compensation-seeking process) and sensation seeking (reward-driven process) (Study 3).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings unraveled the complex relationship between childhood maltreatment subtypes and internet addiction and emphasized the importance of psychological interventions focusing on experiences of emotional abuse.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 107687"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145087693","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":"Maltreatment and executive functioning in childhood and adolescence − A multilevel meta-analysis","authors":"Anastasiia Perevoznikova ,&nbsp;Philipp Berger ,&nbsp;Charlotte Grosse Wiesmann ,&nbsp;Lars O. White ,&nbsp;Jan Keil","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107663","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107663","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Child maltreatment (CM) is associated with deficits in cognitive development, particularly in core executive functioning (EF; cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, working memory). However, due to limited meta-analytic evidence, it remains unclear whether CM dimensions (abuse, neglect) differentially relate to core EF development.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>We conducted a pre-registered meta-analysis on studies comparing core EF performance between maltreated and nonmaltreated children and adolescents, examining CM dimensions, subtypes, sample-, and study-related characteristics as potential moderators.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A systematic search in PsycINFO and PubMed (May 2022, updated March 2023) identified eligible peer-reviewed studies per pre-registered criteria. We conducted a multilevel mixed-effects meta-analysis, including subgroup analyses to explore EF domains and CM dimensions as moderators. Additional moderators (age, female ratio, CM subtypes, study quality) were examined via meta-regressions. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's test.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>We included 59 studies with 92 effect sizes, comprising 13,022 individuals (<em>M</em>_Age = 12.0 years, SD = 2.8; 50.2 % female).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Maltreated individuals showed moderate EF deficits across domains (Hedge's <em>g</em> = −0.43, 95 % CI [−0.53, −0.34], <em>p</em> &lt; .001), with substantial heterogeneity (<em>Q</em>(91) = 390.57, <em>p</em> &lt; .001), partially explained by EF domain differences. CM dimensions did not explain this heterogeneity, whereas sex emerged as a significant moderator.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our findings suggest a cumulative, multifinal relationship between CM and EF domain deficits. However, the substantial heterogeneity observed across studies and limited methodological details constrain this conclusion. Further research is needed to elucidate how different maltreatment experiences impact EF development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 107663"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145088079","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":"Prevalence and correlates of adverse childhood experiences in fathers: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Audrey-Ann Deneault ,&nbsp;Dominic Laquerre ,&nbsp;Laurence Beaulieu ,&nbsp;Gabrielle Myre ,&nbsp;Nicole Racine ,&nbsp;Sheri Madigan","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107651","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107651","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are an important precursor for psychological and physical illness, with important implications for intergenerational risk. However, most of the literature on the intergenerational transmission of ACEs and related risks has focused on <em>maternal</em> ACEs and their impact on prenatal and postnatal health and parenting practices. Given that men are as likely as women to experience ACEs, and that fathers' involvement in childrearing has grown significantly in recent decades, it is important to understand the prevalence and intergenerational correlates of <em>paternal</em> ACEs.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This systematic review aimed to synthesize existing research on paternal ACEs.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A systematic review was conducted in CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline, and PsycINFO, identifying 66 studies (drawn from 56 distinct samples) reporting on fathers' ACEs separately from mothers' ACEs. Data on the prevalence and correlates of paternal ACEs were extracted from each study.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Contrary to population-based studies comparing men and women, a significant difference emerged between fathers' and mothers' ACEs, with mothers presenting higher ACEs (Hedge's <em>g</em> = 0.18, 95 % CI [0.12, 0.25], <em>p</em> &lt; .001). The most reported ACEs among fathers were parental separation/divorce, followed by psychological violence and neglect. The literature on correlates remains sparse, although it suggests associations between paternal ACEs and paternal depression, as well as child ACEs and behavioral problems.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>There is an urgent need for more research on paternal ACEs to help inform targeted prevention and intervention efforts with fathers. An adapted version of the Heuristic model of fathering is proposed to guide future research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 107651"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145082417","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":"Algorithmic tools to help social workers in child protection service make well-informed decisions: A scoping review","authors":"A.E. Gabriels ,&nbsp;Chris H.Z. Kuiper ,&nbsp;Annemiek T. Harder","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107678","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107678","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Decisions on whether to investigate a report of child maltreatment or to remove a child from home are often problematic and surrounded by many uncertainties. Several tools have been developed to improve decision-making in child protection services, but little is known about which tools are used and their advantages and disadvantages.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>To provide an overview of algorithm-based decision support tools and to investigate whether these innovative tools can support social workers make better decisions.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>We conducted a scoping literature review (from 2000 to 2022) using seven databases. We used ASReview, an innovative program that uses machine learning and algorithms in screening large quantities of text.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>All 24 studies originate from North America (77 %) and Europe. Most studies (83 %) focus on tools predicting the risk of maltreatment. Some studies (17 %) focus on prescriptive tools which render advice on the best intervention strategy. Eight tools are discussed, with the ‘Alleghany Family Screening Tool’ (‘AFST’) and the ‘Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths’ (‘CANS’) as the most frequently referenced.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The use of algorithmic decision-support tools in child protection services is still in its infancy. In general, considering the positive results, we believe that the CANS, the artificial neural networks tool and the boosted tree model are the most promising tools to be further tested at this stage. However, ethical concerns have been raised in almost every study, particularly concerns in respect of racial disparities. More research is required before these tools can be used on a large scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 107678"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145082364","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":"Perceived life burdens of early maltreatment and complex and severe depression: Using the early maltreatment & caring experiences questionnaire in clinical practice","authors":"Pablo Martínez ,&nbsp;Dante Diez de Medina ,&nbsp;M. Victoria Chacón ,&nbsp;Cristián Cáceres ,&nbsp;Eduardo Sánchez ,&nbsp;Marietta Alegría ,&nbsp;Sergio Gloger","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107682","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107682","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Early maltreatment experiences (EME) are linked to complex and severe depression, but outcome variability suggests mechanisms beyond exposure.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To examine perceived life burdens (PLB; enduring difficulties attributed to EME) as a mechanism linking EME to complex and severe depression.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Cross-sectional sample of 271 adults with major depression disorder at their first outpatient mental health consultation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>EME, PLB, and early caring experiences (ECE) were assessed with the Early Maltreatment &amp; Caring Experiences (EMCE) questionnaire. Complex and severe depression was defined as PHQ-9 ≥ 20 plus ≥1 clinical complexity marker (early onset, recurrence, psychotic features, suicidality, or family history). Logistic regression, mediation, and moderation analyses examined associations among EME, PLB, adaptive coping, and complex and severe depression, adjusting for ECE. Incremental predictive value of PLB was tested with hierarchical.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>PLB was associated with complex and severe depression (OR 1.69 [95 % CI 1.23–2.32). PLB partially mediated the EME–complex and severe depression association (indirect effect 23.4 % [95 % CI 14.5–83.5 %]). Adaptive coping moderated the EME–PLB association (interaction OR 0.96 [95 % CI 0.92–0.99]), attenuating PLB at higher adaptive coping, but did not significantly moderate associations with complex and severe depression. Adding PLB improved fit, and PLB remained independently associated with complex and severe depression.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>PLB reflects the subjective burden of EME, improves prediction of complex and severe depression beyond EME and ECE, and is moderated by adaptive coping. Findings support incorporating PLB into trauma-informed assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 107682"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049397","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":"Adverse childhood experiences and trauma symptoms in maltreated children: The role of child and caregiver protective factors","authors":"Cynthia Côté ,&nbsp;Dominique Roy ,&nbsp;Raela Thiemann ,&nbsp;Cailey Hartwick ,&nbsp;Sheri Madigan ,&nbsp;Nicole Racine","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107664","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107664","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Among children under the age of 18, approximately 58 % report experiencing one or more adverse childhood experience (ACE). Exposure to ACEs is consequential for children's development and increases risk of poor physical and mental health outcomes across the lifespan. Resilience science suggests that protective factors within a child's social ecology can mitigate the impact of ACEs on outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The current study examines how personal and caregiver protective factors moderate the association between cumulative ACEs and child trauma symptoms in a sample of children receiving psychological services for maltreatment.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A retrospective file review of 71 participants aged 8 to 17 (<em>M</em> age = 12.6, <em>SD</em> = 2.5, 78.6 % girls) seen at a child and youth advocacy centre was conducted. Participants also completed questionnaires to assess trauma symptoms and protective factors.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Analyses revealed that children's personal protective factors, such as perceived peer support, internal locus of control, and future orientation (<em>r</em> = −0.51, <em>p</em> &lt; .001), as well as caregiver protective factors (<em>r</em> = −0.39, <em>p</em> = .010), were negatively correlated with their trauma symptoms. Furthermore, child personal protective factors were found to moderate the association between ACEs and trauma symptoms (β = −1.84, <em>p</em> = .036), suggesting that these factors mitigate the risk of cumulative ACEs. Caregiver protective factors did not moderate this association (β = −0.5, <em>p</em> = .700).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study highlights the importance of embedding intrapersonal and interpersonal skills training in trauma-based intervention programs and encourages further research into the impacts of protective factors at different phases of child development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 107664"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049396","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":"Grooming strategies in German Protestant contexts: A qualitative analysis of survivors' experiences","authors":"Amina Shah,&nbsp;Peer Briken,&nbsp;Safiye Tozdan","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Sexual abuse (SA) of minors is an ongoing global problem. Analyzing possible grooming strategies might help in the prevention of SA. Though SA of minors in religious institutions has been a major research topic, within Germany and worldwide, research regarding Protestant settings is scarce.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The aim of this study was to analyze grooming strategies in German Protestant settings.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 persons who reported having experienced SA in a German Protestant setting.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Qualitative content analysis was conducted, following a deductive-inductive approach.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Grooming strategies were sorted into nine main grooming categories with subcategories and one additional overarching category, marking the usage of religious concepts for grooming: (1) building a good reputation, (2) utilizing access to (vulnerable) persons, (3) creating opportunities for one-on-one contact, (4) isolating the child/adolescent, (5) building trust and dependencies, (6) desensitizing (slowly pushing boundaries), (7) directly preventing disclosure and (legal) consequences, (8) using power to enforce SA, (9) creating ambiguity.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The present study deepens the understanding of grooming in Christian contexts, offering a uniquely structured and detailed analysis of Protestant settings. Its thematic approach highlights important grooming strategies making them more tangible and recognizable across Germany and beyond. These insights provide valuable practical guidance for training church leaders, staff, parents, as well as children and adolescents, strengthening protective measures against abuse.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 107647"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049394","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 maltreatment and its associations with multidomain health outcomes and brain structure: A comprehensive analysis of over 150,000 UK Biobank participants","authors":"Yanqing Wang ,&nbsp;Haishuo Xia ,&nbsp;Antao Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107662","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107662","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Childhood maltreatment, a pervasive public health concern, is linked to lifelong impairments in physical and mental health. Despite its profound implications, research on its associations with multidomain health outcomes and neurobiological mechanisms remains fragmented. We aimed to comprehensively assess the impact of childhood maltreatment on diverse health measures and brain structure using large-scale, multidimensional data.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this population-based study, we analyzed data from the UK Biobank to examine the patterns and directions of associations between the severity of childhood maltreatment and 254 health-related measures across multiple domains, using linear mixed-effect models and adjusting for numerous confounders. Participants were included in the study if they had complete data on childhood maltreatment assessments, all covariates, and at least one health measure. The study also investigated the link between childhood maltreatment and brain structure, as well as the mediating role of this link in the association between childhood maltreatment and mental health outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Childhood maltreatment severity was significantly associated with decreased cognitive performance (Cohen's d = 0.016–0.226), increased unhealthy lifestyle (d = 0.020–0.472), poor physical fitness (d = 0.004–0.400), increased symptoms of poor mental health (d = 0.051–1.197), and adverse biochemical markers (d = 0.014–0.062). Maltreatment severity was correlated with reduced gray matter volume (GMV) in the thalamus, postcentral gyrus, and cerebellum (d = 0.031–0.038). Longitudinal analyses indicated that thalamic GMV reductions mediated associations between maltreatment severity and 22 out of 55 mental health outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Childhood maltreatment exerts enduring multi-domain health effects, with mental health outcomes demonstrating the highest vulnerability. Structural thalamic alterations partially mediate these relationships, highlighting neurodevelopmental pathways through which early adversity becomes biologically embedded. This work provides a framework for understanding the systemic health impacts of childhood trauma and informing trauma-informed clinical strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 107662"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049395","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}