Trajectories of traumatic stress reactions in children exposed to intimate partner violence

Trajectories of complex posttraumatic stress symptoms among Chinese college students with childhood adversities: The role of self-compassion

BACKGROUND

Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is associated with severe impairments in psychosocial functions, but related longitudinal research is limited. To promote the mental health of college students with childhood adversities, it is imperative to investigate the development of CPTSD symptoms and the predictive factors.

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to examine the latent trajectories of CPTSD symptoms among college students with childhood adversities and to identify the role of self-compassion in differentiating potential trajectories.

METHODS

A total of 294 college students with childhood adversities completed self-report questionnaires on demographic backgrounds, childhood adversities, CPTSD symptoms, and self-compassion three times with an interval of three months. Latent class growth analysis was used to determine the trajectories of CPTSD symptoms. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to examine the association between self-compassion and trajectories subgroups while adjusting for demographic variables.

RESULTS

Three heterogeneous groups of CPTSD symptoms among college students with childhood adversities were identified: the low-symptoms group (n = 123, 41.8 %), the moderate-symptoms group (n = 108, 36.7 %), and the high-risk group (n = 63, 21.4 %). Multinomial logistic regression showed that, after adjusting for demographic variables, students with higher levels of self-compassion were less likely to belong to the moderate-symptoms and high-risk group in comparison to the low-symptoms group.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest the trajectories of CPTSD symptoms of college students with childhood adversities were heterogeneous. Self-compassion was a protective factor against the development of CPTSD symptoms. The present study provided insights into the mental health promotion for individuals with adversities.

Understanding posttraumatic stress trajectories in adolescent females: A strength-based machine learning approach examining risk and protective factors including online behaviors

Heterogeneity in the course of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) following a major life trauma such as childhood sexual abuse (CSA) can be attributed to numerous contextual factors, psychosocial risk, and family/peer support. The present study investigates a comprehensive set of baseline psychosocial risk and protective factors including online behaviors predicting empirically derived PTSS trajectories over time. Females aged 12-16 years (N = 440); 156 with substantiated CSA; 284 matched comparisons with various self-reported potentially traumatic events (PTEs) were assessed at baseline and then annually for 2 subsequent years. Latent growth mixture modeling (LGMM) was used to derive PTSS trajectories, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression was used to investigate psychosocial predictors including online behaviors of trajectories. LGMM revealed four PTSS trajectories: resilient (52.1%), emerging (9.3%), recovering (19.3%), and chronic (19.4%). Of the 23 predictors considered, nine were retained in the LASSO model discriminating resilient versus chronic trajectories including the absence of CSA and other PTEs, low incidences of exposure to sexual content online, minority ethnicity status, and the presence of additional psychosocial protective factors. Results provide insights into possible intervention targets to promote resilience in adolescence following PTEs.

Exposure to Intimate-Partner Violence and Resilience Trajectories of Adolescents: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Latent Transition Analysis

Despite the serious emotional and social consequences of adolescents' exposure to intimate-partner violence (IPV) and the high prevalence of this exposure, few analyses have focused on person-centered models or considered psychological IPV. Studies that address exposure to violence tend to focus on physical IPV. Therefore, in this study, we examine (across two waves) the trajectories of resilience among adolescents who have witnessed psychological IPV by conducting a latent transition analysis and predicting class membership through socio-demographic and individual-level protective factors. Using a sample of 879 (T1, fall 2020) and 770 (T2, spring 2022) adolescent Swiss students with mean ages of 11.74 (SD = 0.64) and 13.77 (SD = 0.53), we identified four distinct time-invariant resilience classes: comorbid-frustrated, internalizing-frustrated, comorbid-satisfied, and resilient. The classes characterized by some level of psychopathological symptoms and basic psychological-needs frustration were the most stable over time. Furthermore, we found the four typical resilience trajectories: recovery, chronic, delayed, and improving. Gender, socioeconomic background, and protective factors showed a significant prediction of class membership in wave 1, highlighting the importance of increasing sensitivity to psychological-IPV exposure on the one hand, and reinforcing the relevance of prevention in schools regarding the promotion of protective factors on the other.

Does time heal all wounds? How is children’s exposure to intimate partner violence related to their current internalizing symptoms?

The effects of time and the longitudinal course of the children’s internalizing symptoms following Intimate Partner Violence Exposure (IPVE) are still of great interest today. This study aimed to analyze the effect of the frequency of IPVE, adverse experiences after the cessation of the IPVE and the time elapsed since the termination of the violent relation on the prevalence of anxiety and depression among children. Participants were 107 children and their mothers who had been victims of IPV and had existing judicial protection and restraining orders. Hierarchical logistic regression models were estimated to analyze children’s adjustment, considering the effect of the time elapsed since the termination, frequency of IPVE, experiences of revictimization, maternal pathology, and anxious anticipation of the mother at the prospect of future harm. Exposure to multiple events of violence at the hands of multiple ex-partners and higher scores in the mother’s anxious anticipation were significant predictors of children’s pathological depression and anxiety. Our results emphasize the need for early psychological evaluation of women and children’s victims of IPV to provide timely interventions that avoid symptoms from becoming chronic. Strategies to bring support and emotional security to the victims after the end of the violent relationship are desirable.

Charting a Course towards Resilience Following Adverse Childhood Experiences: Addressing Intergenerational Trauma via Strengths-Based Intervention

Early research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) provided staggering evidence of the significant ramifications of ACEs on physical health and functioning. It brought to the forefront the importance of addressing trauma and family dysfunction to enhance public health. Over the past several decades, the study of childhood adversity has blossomed, with expanded conceptualizations and assessments of ACEs. This review brings together various biological, psychological, and sociological principles that inform our understanding of ACEs and our approach to treatment. Specifically, we document the evolution of ACEs research, focusing on the intergenerational impact of ACEs, the importance of incorporating a resilience framework when examining ACEs, and implementing interventions that address adversity across generations and at multiple levels of the social ecology. Evidence is provided to support the evolving perspective that ACEs have long-lasting effects beyond the ACE(s)-exposed individual, with significant attention to the impact of parental ACEs on child development. An intergenerational and multilevel approach to understanding and addressing ACEs offers specific areas to target in interventions and in public policy.

Depresión Infanto-Juvenil y exposición temprana a la violencia

Este artículo de revisión bibliográfica  tiene como objetivo conocer las aproximaciones teóricas de la depresión en el curso de vida infanto juvenil, a partir de la exposición temprana a situaciones de violencia, en tanto los procesos de mielinización se obstruyen, en la medida en que en los primeros años de vida, se es  víctima de violencia, influyendo esto directamente en alteraciones, cognitivas, comportamentales y emocionales. Resulta del interés en conocer los avances de  las disciplinas, las metodologías, las categorías y las preguntas que están motivando a los investigadores sobre el la depresión como síntoma arraigado en la violencia, hoy.  El análisis de la información fue desarrollada a través del estado del arte que constaba de 8 (ocho) ítems y 50 (cincuenta) filas, con el fin de ordenar y categorizar la información a partir de  conceptos relacionales. Las perspectivas disciplinares indagadas en esta revisión son la Psicología, la psiquiatría, la neuropsicología y las ciencias sociales. Las principales categorías indagadas por los autores son: mielinización, violencia infantil, depresión, consecuencias Neuropsicológicas y emocionales de la violencia. Las preguntas que formulan los investigadores se  ubican en cuatro campos: procesos neurobiológicos, violencia y maltrato infantil, pautas de crianza, depresión infanto juvenil, y  trastornos comportamentales, emocionales y cognitivos. Por los resultados obtenidos, se identificó que los problemas cardinales abordados en las investigaciones son, la violencia intrafamiliar, las pautas de crianza como uno de los ejes articuladores, y la depresión infanto juvenil.

Intergenerational effects of childhood maltreatment: A systematic review of the parenting practices of adult survivors of childhood abuse, neglect, and violence

A history of maltreatment in childhood may influence adults' parenting practices, potentially affecting their children. This systematic review examines 97 studies investigating associations of parental childhood victimization with a range of parenting behaviors that may contribute to the intergenerational effects of abuse: abusive parenting, problematic parenting, positive parenting, and positive parental affect. Key findings include: (1) parents who report experiencing physical abuse or witnessing violence in the home during childhood are at increased risk for reporting that they engage in abusive or neglectful parenting; (2) a cumulative effect of maltreatment experiences, such that adults who report experiencing multiple types or repeated instances of victimization are at greatest risk for perpetrating child abuse; (3) associations between reported childhood maltreatment experiences and parents' problematic role reversal with, rejection of, and withdrawal from their children; (4) indirect effects between reported childhood maltreatment and abusive parenting via adult intimate partner violence; and (5) indirect effects between reported childhood maltreatment and lower levels of positive parenting behaviors and affect via mothers' mental health. Thus, childhood experiences of maltreatment may alter parents' ability to avoid negative and utilize positive parenting practices. Limitations of this body of literature include few prospective studies, an overreliance on adults' self-report of their childhood victimization and current parenting, and little examination of potentially differential associations for mothers and fathers.