Childhood trauma and marital outcomes in adulthood

Although existing research suggests that certain childhood traumas such as childhood sexual abuse are associated with interpersonal (e.g., marital) difficulties in adulthood, there has been limited research on interpersonal sequelae of other types of traumas. In addition, the association between childhood traumas and interpersonal outcomes has often been limited to a particular outcome such as divorce, and existing studies have rarely controlled for the co‐occurrence of other traumas when evaluating interpersonal outcomes. The current study sought to evaluate the associations between 7 childhood traumas and 2 marital outcomes—marital disruption (i.e., divorce and separation) and marital satisfaction—in a large, national probability sample. Results from univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that (a) probability of marital disruption was higher among people who during childhood had experienced physical abuse, rape, or serious physical attack or assault; and (b) current marital satisfaction was lower among people who during childhood had experienced rape or sexual molestation. Results support the importance of childhood traumas in predicting 2 important marital outcomes.     

Sexual trauma and personality: developmental vulnerability and additive effects.

Two types of sexual trauma, sexual abuse in childhood and rape in adulthood, were investigated in terms of possible effects on personality. Four groups of participants were studied: women who had experienced sexual abuse in childhood, women who had experienced rape as adults, women who had experienced both of these sexual traumas, and a control group of women who had experienced no sexual trauma. Personality functioning was assessed using the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology. Groups who had experienced childhood sexual abuse displayed the highest degree of personality disturbance; however, the additive effects of repeated sexual trauma were limited. These findings may reflect the outcome of specific adversity in childhood on the psychobiological constructs underlying personality.     

Obscene telephone calls to children: a retrospective field study

Studied a sample of 24 Danish children selected from a larger group of 56 children who had received obscene telephone calls from a single adult offender to ascertain the psychological consequences of this form of sexual abuse. The sample is unusual in that the source of the abuse was the same for all of the children, and none of them had records of prior or concurrent abuse from other sources. Almost all children suffered significant psychological consequences from these calls, those who obeyed the caller's demands experiencing more serious consequences than those who did not. A comparison was made with the consequences suffered by an additional group of 7 children who had experienced direct physical sexual abuse by the same offender.     

Immobility and supination in garter snakes (Thamnophis elegans) following handling by human predators

A common response of animals to physical restraint is tonic immobility. The authors observed the behavior of garter snakes, Thamnophis elegans, in the field to determine the frequency of immobility as a response to handling. Most snakes fled after release, but the remainder remained immobile, sometimes on their backs (supination), for up to 10 min. Immobility was seen most often in pregnant snakes, which also were more likely than other snakes not to have moved before capture. Failure to move, either before or after capture, might be a consequence of the limited locomotory ability of gravid snakes. However, the lack of observations of interactions between snakes and their natural predators impedes researchers' understanding of the antipredator value, if any, of tonic immobility.     

Childhood sexual and physical abuse and the 1-year prevalence of medical problems in the National Comorbidity Survey.

In a population sample (N=5,877; ages 15 to 54), the authors found childhood sexual and physical abuse to be associated with the 1-year prevalence of serious health problems for both men and women. The authors also found that participants' psychiatric disorders partially mediated the effects of physical and sexual abuse on adult health. However, childhood abuse continued to independently influence health status after the authors controlled for psychiatric disorders. Contrary to expectations, individuals who experienced a combination of sexual and physical abuse did not have a higher frequency of health problems than those who experienced either type of abuse alone. Implications for these findings are discussed, including possible mechanisms that may account for the association between childhood abuse and adult health problems.     

Psychological Trauma Among American Indian Families: A Two-Generation Study

The findings presented in this article come from a two-generation study exploring the psychological impact of trauma among American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) families and its perceived relationship to substance abuse across generations. Psychological traumas and stressors found to be pervasive across generations included physical and sexual abuse as well as persistent discrimination and racism, such as fear of having children removed from the home. A noteworthy finding was a decrease in reports of childhood traumas across the two generations within this sample. Implications and recommendations for clinicians and researchers working with AI populations are discussed in light of the findings.     

Reported childhood trauma and suicide attempts in schizophrenic patients

Childhood traumas are associated with suicidal behavior but this aspect has not been examined in relation to schizophrenia. In this study, 50 chronic schizophrenic patients who had attempted suicide were compared with 50 chronic schizophrenic patients who had never attempted suicide for their scores on the 34-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). It was found that schizophrenics who had attempted suicide reported significantly higher CTQ scores for emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect than schizophrenics who had never attempted suicide. Therefore, childhood trauma may be a risk factor predisposing schizophrenic patients to attempt suicide.     

Consequences of Child and Adult Sexual and Physical Trauma among Deaf Adults

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the consequences of sexual and physical trauma among a sample of deaf adults. Thirty-two men and 45 women completed the Life Event Checklist (LEC), the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), the Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI), the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire–20 (SDQ–20) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. In this sample, 40.6% of the male participants and 53.3% of the female participants had experienced some type of sexual trauma during their lifetimes. Physical trauma was reported by 75% of males and 71.1% of female participants. For those who had experienced childhood sexual trauma, the odds ratio of revictimization in adulthood was 6.69. Sexual trauma also rarely occurred by itself. Two thirds of all participants with sexual trauma histories also reported some type of physical abuse. Participants with sexual trauma histories displayed significantly more symptoms of PTSD and depression than people without such trauma history. Physical and sexual abuse represent significant problems in the deaf community. The authors include a call for the development of targeted intervention attempts to prevent further victimization in deaf child and adolescent populations.     

Effects of trauma and religiosity on self-esteem

Self-esteem is often lower among persons who have experienced trauma, but religiosity may ameliorate these psychological effects. The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationships among religiosity, self-esteem, and childhood exposure to trauma, utilizing data from the National Comorbidity Survey, a large (N = 8,098) nationally representative population survey in the 48 contiguous states of the USA that assessed religious practices, self-esteem, and exposure to trauma. Exposure to trauma in childhood was assessed through self-report of presence or absence of childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. Religiosity was assessed as the sum of responses to 4 self-report items (religious service attendance, use of religion for comfort and guidance, and importance of religion). Self-esteem was assessed on 9 self-report items adapted from the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Analysis of variance compared scores for persons who reported exposure to childhood abuse and differed in the value they placed on various religious practices on self-esteem. Persons who reported physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect in childhood had significantly lower mean self-esteem than those who did not report these events. There was also a main effect for religiosity in a comparison of persons who reported childhood sexual abuse with those who reported none. The High Religiosity group had higher mean self-esteem than the Medium and Low Religiosity groups. There was a significant interaction as those who reported childhood sexual abuse had lower mean self-esteem than peers who reported none in the Low and Medium Religiosity groups. Mean self-esteem for those who reported childhood sexual abuse was comparable to that of those who reported none in the High Religiosity group.     

Parental Emotional Response to Children’s Traumas

To better understand how parents react to their child’s trauma exposure and evaluate whether different reactions are related to different types of traumas, 120 parents (79.2% mothers, 18.3% fathers, 2.5% other caregivers) were asked about their emotional reactions related to their child’s self-reported worst trauma. Emotional reactions were assessed with the Parental Emotional Reactions Questionnaire (PERQ). Parents reported high levels of distress and guilt. Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between type of trauma and parents’ overall emotional reactions. Parental distress was equally endorsed among the different trauma groups. Parents of children who experienced intrafamilial violence and extrafamilial sexual abuse reported the highest levels of guilt, and child exposure to intrafamilial violence was associated with higher levels of parental shame.     

The relationship between traumatic experiences, dissociation, and borderline personality pathology among male forensic patients and prisoners

In the present study the relationship between traumatic experiences, dissociation, and borderline personality disorder pathology is examined in a group of 39 male forensic patients and 192 male prisoners. Sexual and emotional abuse are significantly more common among forensic patients than among prisoners. Patients also report a broader range of different kinds of traumas. Prisoners report significantly more dissociative symptoms. Analyses of the relationship of type of trauma on the one hand and dissociation and borderline personality pathology on the other show that sexual abuse is significantly associated with borderline personality pathology but not with dissociation among the patients. In the prison sample these associations are found only for familial but not extrafamilial sexual abuse. When the subjects are grouped on account of presence or absence of a borderline personality disorder, highly significant differences on dissociation are found between both groups. The results from this study lend support to the hypothesis that sexual abuse is not related to dissociative symptoms but merely to borderline personality pathology. Because most subjects in this study are not patients, these findings are not likely to be confounded by false memories of traumatic events that are recovered by psychotherapy. Furthermore, dissociative symptoms are found to be related to borderline personality pathology and not to the experience of traumatic events.     

Directory of Members of the Society for Projective Techniques as of March 1, 1962

This study investigated MMPI characteristics of adult female outpatients in a behavior therapy clinic (N = 110). Those reporting histories of childhood sexual or physical abuse or both differed from those who did not on global Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI; Hathaway &; McKinley, 1943) indices of psychopathology and on Scales F, K, L, 4, 7, and 8. Subjects reporting abuse also reported high rates of other early traumas: witnessing family violence, parental alcohol abuse, and parental divorce. Physical abuse history was the best predictor of adult maladjustment as assessed by the MMPI. Findings suggest the potential utility of the MMPI for assessing long-range trauma effects and highlight the importance of considering multiple early-risk factors for the development of psychological disturbance.     

Gender Differences in Trauma Types and Themes in Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Background: This study aimed to determine whether there were gender differences in trauma types and cognitive-emotional themes among veterans with deployment-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: Case notes or writing excerpts from two pilot studies were reviewed to determine types of traumas and emerging themes, with 20 women and 31 men comprising the sample. Results: Most women developed PTSD after sexual assault, with reactions emphasizing mistrust, betrayal, and anger. Men experienced more combat, with reactions including survivor guilt, moral injury, and horror. Conclusions: Both genders developed PTSD, but the causes of and reactions to their traumas differed. Emerging themes can be useful treatment foci.     

Sex and Aggression: The Relationship Between Gender and Abuse Experience in Youngsters Referred to Residential Treatment

We examined the relationship of gender and different forms of abuse experience on internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and IQ in a sample of 397 youngsters who were admitted to a residential treatment program. Three types of abuse experience were examined in this study: sexual abuse only, physical abuse only, and both sexual and physical abuse. Results indicate that girls exhibited higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms even though abuse experience was accounted for in the analyses. Moreover, youngsters who had experienced sexual abuse (but not physical abuse) exhibited higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms than youngsters who had not been abused. Implications for developing individualized interventions based on gender and abuse experience in residential treatment programs is discussed.     

Prior interpersonal trauma: the contribution to current PTSD symptoms in female rape victims

The purpose of the current study was to disentangle the relationship of childhood sexual abuse and childhood physical abuse from prior adult sexual and physical victimization in predicting current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in recent rape victims. The participants were a community sample of 117 adult rape victims assessed within 1 month of a recent index rape for a history of child sexual abuse, child physical abuse, other adult sexual and physical victimization, and current PTSD symptoms. Results from path analyses showed that a history of child sexual abuse seems to increase vulnerability for adult sexual and physical victimization and appears to contribute to current PTSD symptoms within the cumulative context of other adult trauma.     

Autobiographical Memory Disturbances in Childhood Abuse Survivors

Summary

Clinicians have noted that childhood abuse survivors frequently report that they have forgotten large parts of their childhood. While memory for abusive experiences has attracted a great deal of attention from researchers, other types of memory disturbances may also accompany a history of childhood trauma. Many clinicians report that certain types of sexual abuse, and abuse at certain developmental stages, is more likely to result in reports of gaps in memory for the abuse. However, because information has been mainly collected in clinical populations, the possibility of confounding between abusive experiences and psychological disturbances cannot be ruled out. This article reports on data gathered from a large, epidemiologic study conducted within a health maintenance organization. A history of childhood physical or sexual abuse doubled the prevalence of general autobiographical memory loss for women, while for men, the rate increased 1.5 times over those with no abuse history. Higher rates of autobiographical memory loss were noted where both types of abuse were reported. Further, multiple incidents of sexual abuse, sexual abuse by a relative, and more severe sexual abuse increased reports of autobiographical memory loss. Theoretical perspectives on changes in the memory system that may affect trauma survivors are discussed.     

Childhood trauma and parental bonding among Japanese female patients with borderline personality disorder

The present study explored the relationship between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and childhood trauma and perceived parental behaviours among a sample of Japanese female outpatients. Participants were 45 female patients who were diagnosed with BPD and 45 female patients with a diagnosis of other nonorganic psychological disorders (aged 19 to 53). The participants completed surveys that assessed recollection of childhood abuse and neglect, perceived parental-rearing behaviours, and symptoms of BPD. MANOVAs and logistic regression analyses were conducted in order to analyse the data. The results showed that the patients with BPD reported more severe forms of childhood traumas, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and emotional and physical neglect, than did the non-BPD patients. This is consistent with previous findings in North America that have reported higher prevalence and greater severity of various childhood traumas in individuals with BPD compared with those with non-BPD disorders or nonclinical samples. This study also found that the patients with BPD recalled both of their parents as more overprotective/controlling and less caring than did the non-BPD patients. Last, logistic regression analyses found significant predictors of BPD diagnosis were reported emotional abuse and neglect as well as perceived paternal overprotection. Overall, these results indicate that whereas psychological risk factors in Japan are similar to those reported elsewhere, the same pathology can emerge from somewhat different causal pathways.     

Testing Posttraumatic Stress as a Mediator of Childhood Trauma and Adult Intimate Partner Violence Victimization

This study examined whether potential posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) mediated the relationships between different forms of childhood trauma (sexual abuse, physical abuse, violence between caregivers) and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization (psychological, physical, sexual). Participants were 1,150 female nurses and nursing personnel. Path analytic findings revealed potential PTSD partially mediated the relationships between childhood sexual abuse and psychological IPV and childhood sexual abuse and sexual IPV. Potential PTSD did not mediate the relationship between other types of childhood trauma and IPV. This study adds to the literature indicating PTSD as a risk factor for revictimization in the form of adult IPV among women. Screening for and treatment of PTSD among female child sexual abuse survivors could prevent future IPV victimization.     

Commonality and specificity of personality disorder profiles in subjects with trauma histories.

Recently, attention has been drawn to a range of disturbances in personality functioning that commonly characterize individuals with a history of severe or prolonged trauma. Many of these features overlap with criteria for some of the Axis II personality disorders. The current study investigated the similarity of personality disorder features in different samples of patients with trauma histories, and specificity of such features compared to other psychiatric samples. Profiles of Axis II features, based on relative frequencies of individual disorder "diagnoses" derived from a common measure (Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised), were compared in three trauma samples: male Vietnam combat veterans with PTSD, female inpatients with a history of childhood sexual abuse, and female outpatients with a history of childhood sexual abuse. The PDQ-R derived profiles in each of the three trauma samples were then compared with similar PDQ-R derived profiles in published reports of psychiatric samples selected for other diagnoses. Each of the three Spearman rank correlations among the three trauma samples were significant, ranging from .72 to .94. There was a clear pattern of higher correlations within the trauma samples (average correlation of .81) than between the trauma and nontrauma samples (average correlations of .11, .36, and .25 between the nontrauma samples and the combat sample, inpatient sexual abuse sample, and outpatient sexual abuse sample, respectively). The findings suggest that a pattern of personality disorder features may be distinctly associated with individuals with trauma histories, at least of the type examined here. Future studies using more clinically valid measures of personality features and including other types of trauma samples are needed to determine the generalizability of the current findings. Also needed are studies with longitudinal designs to address questions of causal pathways that may underlie such associations.