The association between childhood trauma and adulthood depression

Aim: Child maltreatment has negative long-term consequences for mental health, including an increased risk of depression. However, this phenomenon has not been adequately studied, especially in southeastern Turkey. In this study, the presence of childhood trauma was investigated in patients with depression. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2019 and December 2019 in the psychiatry clinic of a university hospital located in the southeast region of Turkey. A total of 160 people, 80 of whom were patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 80 of whom were healthy controls, were included in the study. The data for the study were collected using the Sociodemographic Characteristics Questionnaire prepared by the researchers, the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ-28), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: The scores of patients with MDD in both sub-dimensions and total scores were found to be statistically significantly higher than the healthy control group (p<0.001). There was no significant correlation between the scores of the patient group on the BDI and CTQ-28 scales. Conclusion: It was found that exposure to childhood traumas is associated with depression in adulthood. As a result, childhood trauma in individuals with depression should be investigated because it will serve as guidance in terms of etiopathogenesis and treatment.   How to cite this article: Mercan İ, Kılıçaslan F, Gökçeoğlu S, Cansız A. The association between childhood trauma and adulthood depression. J Med Dent Invest 2023; 4: e230359. https://doi.org/10.5577/jomdi.e230359