The age of onset and duration of childhood abuse: An extension of the childhood trauma screener

Background

Childhood abuse is a significant risk factor for worse adult mental and physical health. Although reported as important moderators, only a few studies have analyzed the effects of the age of onset and duration of abuse, particularly including potential sex differences.

Objective

To investigate the impact of timing and severity of childhood abuse on adult mental and physical health issues, with an emphasis on sex differences.

Participants and settings

Data from 2412 participants (52 % women, 28–89 years) of the general population.

Methods

The Childhood Trauma Screener (CTS) was extended to assess the severity additionally to the age of onset and cumulative exposure across predefined age intervals of physical, emotional, and sexual childhood abuse. Associations with adult health behavior, mental health issues, and inflammatory markers were investigated using regression analyses, complemented by sex interactions.

Results

An earlier onset of emotional abuse was associated with lower resilience (b = −0.51, p = 0.034), whereas greater cumulative exposure to emotional abuse was associated with an earlier onset of depression (b = −4.53, p = 0.041) and more severe depressive symptoms (b = 0.94, p = 0.049). Effect directions differed between men and women for associations between the age of onset of emotional abuse and C-reactive protein levels (b = −0.03, p = 0.042) as well as the cumulative exposure of emotional abuse and fibrinogen levels (b = 0.04, p = 0.007).

Conclusions

The findings underscore the significance of both severity and timing on adult health outcomes, with notable sex differences. These results support the need for targeted prevention programs that consider multiple maltreatment aspects, along with tailored interventions based on sex-specific vulnerabilities.