Association between different types of childhood trauma and parental bonding with antisocial traits in adulthood: A systematic review

Hybrid Pedagogical Intervention can Decrease Impulsivity and Antisocial Behavior and Improve Motor and Cognitive Functions Among Iranian Adolescent

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of a hybrid pedagogical model consisting of Teaching Games for Understanding (TGFU) and Teaching for Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) on the impulsivity, antisocial behaviors, and cognitive function of adolescent students. The study involved 60 male adolescent school students with an average age of 13.32 ± 1.65 years. The research was conducted in four stages: pre-test, teaching game and responsibility through table tennis sessions, post-test, and follow-up. The results of rANOVA indicated a significant decrease in impulsivity and antisocial behaviors from the beginning to the end of the intervention, along with an improvement in responsibility, cognitive, and motor function. Notably, the hybrid pedagogical model participants reported lower scores for impulsivity and antisocial behavior and higher scores for cognitive and motor function than their counterparts in the control group. The findings of the present study provide evidence for the effectiveness of hybrid pedagogical model in adolescent school students and physical education settings. These results suggest that hybrid pedagogical model can be a valuable addition to standard interventions such as psychotherapy, for reducing psychological problems and impulsivity in adolescent students.

Defining and distinguishing early life stress, trauma, adversity, toxic and chronic stress and allostatic load: a descriptive review

AIMS

Various concepts are used to study the impact of stress on childhood development. These concepts are often used inconsistently or interchangeably. Our main objectives were to determine how selected stress concepts (chronic stress, toxic stress, allostatic load, early life stress, childhood adversity, childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences; ACEs) are defined, operationalized and described, and to provide a theoretical context to aid the choice for a preferred concept in public health research.

METHODS

For this descriptive review, we systematically searched for literature published before 4 August 2021, on PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo. Two independent reviewers included studies. Exclusion criteria were: no systematic review, not peer reviewed, not published in English, selected stress concepts were no predetermined variable or a substantial topic in the discussion, full text was unobtainable or study described non-human or non-childhood populations. Data extraction forms were used. Descriptives were gathered, publication fields were identified through Journal Citation Reports categories, and verbatim descriptions were ordered in text and Venn diagrams.

RESULTS

Of 264 screened studies, 124 were included. ACEs, childhood adversity and childhood trauma were used most. ACEs were the main concept used most frequently (47.6%). A total of 11 of 14 public and environmental health journals used ACEs. All concepts refer to prolonged, repeated, interpersonal stress from 0 to 18 years, that can alter physiological systems. Four concepts were stressor oriented, two concepts focused on stress response and effect and one on the state of challenged homeostasis.

CONCLUSIONS

ACEs seem most fitting for public health setting, due to their operationalizability, large set of core experiences and widespread use.

Novel Psychoactive Substance Use and Psychological Trauma: A Multimethodological Analysis

BACKGROUND

Authors discuss the connections between novel psychoactive substance (NPS) use and psychological trauma. The transition from classical substances to NPS, a paradigm change, poses a challenge for the treatment systems. Objective: Research evidence suggests difficulties in emotion regulation and trauma-related NPS-use. Authors explore some demographic and psychopathological characteristics related to such findings and examine the connections between emotion regulation deficiency and the choice of substance.

METHOD

This study uses a methodological triangulation of a biologically identified sample to confirm NPS use, a survey method to describe users' socioeconomic characteristics, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) subscales to study dysfunctions in emotion regulation.

RESULTS

Participants (77 patients) were mainly polydrug users. The transgenerational transfer of substance use was a salient feature, but material deprivation was not characteristic of the entire sample. NPS use was not connected to certain psychopathological characteristics the way classical substance use was. More than half of the respondents had elevated scores on MMPI-2 Demoralization (RCd) and Dysfunctional Negative Emotions (RC7) scales. Nearly half of them also scored high on Neuroticism/Negative Emotionality (NEGE).

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that NPS use in the context of polydrug use is connected to psychological trauma and emotion regulation deficiency, but the MMPI-2 scales to assess emotional dysfunctions are not connected to a particular type of NPS.

The impact of childhood trauma on borderline personality organization in a community sample of Greek emerging adults

There is limited research on the role of childhood trauma in personality pathology according to Kernberg's psychodynamic model of internalized object relations. Because childhood trauma reflects the disruptions of these relations, it is expected to predict borderline personality organization, especially at the threshold of adulthood. Therefore, the main aim of this retrospective study was to examine the impact of childhood trauma on borderline personality organization in a community sample of emerging adults. Participants were 543 Greek individuals aged 18-29 (M = 21.45; 58.6 % females; 85.1 % university students). They completed the Greek versions of the Traumatic Antecedents Questionnaire (TAQ) and the Inventory of Personality Organization (IPO), which were tested for their factorial structure, reliability, and measurement invariance across gender, as few empirical data exist on the psychometric properties of these measures. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the TAQ consisted of four factors, namely positive experiences, abuse, traumatic life events, and family chaos. The five-factor theoretical structure of the IPO, namely primitive defenses, identity diffusion, reality testing, aggression, and moral values, was confirmed. Low to moderate links between childhood trauma and borderline personality organization were found, with stronger links emerging for abuse and family chaos. Structural equation modeling showed that the various forms of childhood trauma across the age periods studied (i.e., 0-6, 7-12, 13-18) significantly and differentially predicted the dimensions of borderline personality organization. The finding that stronger links emerged when trauma occurred in older ages may be attributed to the retrospective method of the study. Gender differences were also found; for example, personality pathology was more likely in men when abuse and traumatic life events occurred in younger ages and abuse was a more important risk factor for personality pathology in women. This study highlights the impact of childhood adversity on personality pathology in emerging adulthood, provides empirical support for Kernberg's psychodynamic model, and has useful implications for trauma-informed early screening, prevention, and intervention regarding personality pathology in young people. Limitations of this study and suggestions for future research are outlined.

The longitudinal relationship between childhood trauma and adolescents' externalizing problems: A moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

Externalizing problems among adolescents are prevalent, which are associated with a range of maladaptive developmental outcomes. Existing studies investigated the influence of childhood trauma, and attentional control on and how sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is related to adolescents' externalizing problems. However, it is unknown whether attentional control plays a mediating role in the relationships between childhood trauma and adolescents' externalizing problems, and whether SPS plays a moderating role in these relationships. The present study examined these issues with a six-month-interval longitudinal study design.

METHODS

A total of 1933 junior school students (Grade 7, Mage = 12.82, 47.7 % girls) from a large follow-up project in a city of eastern China participated in the study. After half a year (wave 2), the data of 1890 participants (Grade 8) were collected. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Attentional Control Scale (ACS-C), Highly Sensitive Child Scale (HSCS), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL-YSR) were administered to the participants to assess their childhood trauma, attentional control, SPS, and externalizing problems in two waves. The immediate and longitudinal moderated mediation models were utilized to investigate the relationships among these factors.

RESULTS

Childhood trauma significantly and positively predicted adolescents' externalizing problems. Attentional control played an immediate and longitudinal mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and externalizing problems. SPS moderated the relationship between childhood trauma and adolescents' attentional control. Childhood trauma had a greater effect on the attentional control of adolescents with SPS levels.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that childhood trauma might impair adolescents' attentional control and then increase their externalizing problems. The influence of childhood trauma on attentional control is more serious among adolescents with lower SPS levels. Therefore, decreasing and preventing childhood trauma and building a warm nurturing environment might be beneficial to improving adolescents' attentional control ability and then reduce their externalizing problems.

Why Is Maternal Control Harmful? The Relation between Maternal Control, Insecure Attachment and Antisocial Personality Disorder Features in Chinese College Students: A Sequential Mediation Model

BACKGROUND

Previous work has indicated that a negative parenting style is associated with antisocial personality disorder features in Chinese college students, yet few studies have explored the unique role of negative mothering in children's antisocial personality disorder.

METHODS

The current study mainly examined the sequential mediation effect of parental antipathy and neglect (PAN) and mother negative loving (a form of insecure attachment) in the association between mother control and adulthood antisocial personality disorder features (ASPD features) in the framework of attachment theory and cognitive-behavioral theory. A community sample of 1547 Chinese college students filled in the Parental Bonding Instrument, the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire, the Adult Attachment Questionnaire and the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+.

RESULTS

A sequential mediation model analysis showed that maternal control significantly predicted PAN, mother negative loving, as well as ASPD features.

CONCLUSIONS

Mother control and mother negative loving appear to advance on the development and exacerbation of ASPD features in college students.

Factor structure and psychometric properties of Polish version of Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) among adults and adolescents

Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) by Parker et al., is a widely known and used tool in studies on the assessment of parenting behavior in adult, adolescent and child populations. This tool has had many translations and adaptations globally. In Poland, the factor structure and psychometric properties of PBI have not been studied so far. The aim of the presented research was to perform such an analysis both in the group of adults and adolescents. The data from four research projects, in which the 25-item version of the PBI translated into Polish was used, were analyzed. Data from 698 participants in total, including 473 adults and 225 adolescents were collected. Exploratory factor analyzes was performed for both mother and father version. A study of the reliability of individual factors, stability over time (test-retest) and an analysis of criterion validity were carried out. Both in the group of adults and adolescents, obtained a three-factor structure, acceptable reliability and stability over time. Moreover PBI correlated with another Polish tool in line with the adopted hypotheses, showing satisfactory criteria validity.

Early Life Adversity and Neuropsychiatric Disease: Differential Outcomes and Translational Relevance of Rodent Models

It is now well-established that early life adversity (ELA) predisposes individuals to develop several neuropsychiatric conditions, including anxiety disorders, and major depressive disorder. However, ELA is a very broad term, encompassing multiple types of negative childhood experiences, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, physical and emotional neglect, as well as trauma associated with chronic illness, family separation, natural disasters, accidents, and witnessing a violent crime. Emerging literature suggests that in humans, different types of adverse experiences are more or less likely to produce susceptibilities to certain conditions that involve affective dysfunction. To investigate the driving mechanisms underlying the connection between experience and subsequent disease, neuroscientists have developed several rodent models of ELA, including pain exposure, maternal deprivation, and limited resources. These studies have also shown that different types of ELA paradigms produce different but somewhat overlapping behavioral phenotypes. In this review, we first investigate the types of ELA that may be driving different neuropsychiatric outcomes and brain changes in humans. We next evaluate whether rodent models of ELA can provide translationally relevant information regarding links between specific types of experience and changes in neural circuits underlying dysfunction.

Childhood Physical Abuse and Antisocial Traits: Mediating Role of Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Clusters

Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are associated with both childhood physical abuse (CPA) and antisocial (AS) traits, yet their potential as mediators of the CPA-AS traits link is understudied and the specific roles of individual symptom clusters in this relation is unknown. The current study aimed to examine the mediational role of PTSS in the relation between CPA and AS traits in a sample of low-income African American women with histories of intimate partner violence (IPV). It was hypothesized that avoidance would emerge as a significant mediator, whereas reexperiencing, numbing, and hyperarousal would not. Participants (N = 150) were recruited from a level-1 trauma public hospital and evaluated as part of a randomized controlled trial of a group therapy intervention for low-income, African American women suicide attempters with histories of IPV. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS), and International Personality Disorder Examination-Screening Questionnaire (IPDE-SQ) were used to measure variables of interest. Using bootstrapping analyses, a parallel mediation model compared PTSS clusters as potential mediators of the CPA-AS traits relation, controlling for IPV. When reexperiencing, avoidance, numbing, and hyperarousal were entered simultaneously as potential mediators, only avoidance emerged as a significant mediator of the CPA-AS traits link. Avoidance symptoms may play a unique role in the link between early experiences of CPA and later AS traits among multiply traumatized African American women. Findings have implications for understanding AS traits in the context of early life trauma and suggest that targeting specific PTSS clusters (e.g., avoidance) may improve treatment outcomes for women in this population.

The endocannabinoid system in borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder: A scoping review

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) or antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are overrepresented in forensic settings. Yet, despite the burden these disorders place on healthcare and criminal justice systems, there remains a lack of evidence-based pharmacological treatments. Epidemiological data have shown that comorbid cannabis use disorders are common in BPD and ASPD. ∆⁹ -Tetrahydrocannabinol, the primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, is an exogenous cannabinoid that stimulates the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Hence, an investigation of the ECS in these conditions is warranted. This scoping review screened 105 records and summarized the extant research on the ECS in ASPD (n = 69) and BPD (n = 61) participants. Preliminary results suggest that alterations of the ECS may be present in these disorders. Although research examining the ECS in personality disorders is still in its infancy, more research is warranted given initial positive findings.

Behavioral Activation System and Early Life Parental Abuse Are Associated with Antisocial Behaviors in Mexican Adolescents

Antisocial behavior (AB) is a complex phenomenon, predicted by a wide range of biological, environmental, and personality factors. These have high human and economic costs especially in adolescents, highlighting the importance of investigating factors that may be associated with these behaviors. Among the most potent predictors of AB are early life experiences and personality. To this end, the present study sought to investigate the association between early life parental abuse and behavioral activation system (BAS) personality traits assessed within the reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) framework and antisocial behaviors in Mexican adolescents. Our sample consisted of 342 adolescents (Mage = 17, SD = 2.47) from northwestern Mexico. Participants, after parental consent and participant consent/assent (if minors), self-reported early life parental abuse, current BAS personality traits, and antisocial behaviors. Through structural equation models, our results suggest there is a positive association between early life parental abuse and antisocial behaviors, as well as a negative association with BAS personality traits (R2 = 37%). These results contribute to the current literature by suggesting that personality and environmental variables can predict adolescent antisocial behaviors. Future studies should explore the interplay between these variables longitudinally and investigate both risk and protective factors, as well as negative and positive outcomes.

Alcohol, Aggression, and Violence: From Public Health to Neuroscience

Alcohol has been associated with violent crimes and domestic violence across many nations. Various etiological factors were linked to chronic alcohol use and violence including psychiatric comorbidities of perpetrators such as personality disorders, mood disorders, and intermittent explosive disorders. Aggression is the precursor of violence and individuals prone to aggressive behaviors are more likely to commit impulsive violent crimes, especially under the influence of alcohol. Findings from brain studies indicate long-term alcohol consumption induced morphological changes in brain regions involved in self-control, decision-making, and emotional processing. In line with this, the inherent dopaminergic and serotonergic anomalies seen in aggressive individuals increase their susceptibility to commit violent crimes when alcohol present in their system. In relation to this, this article intends to investigate the influence of alcohol on aggression with sociopsychological and neuroscientific perspectives by looking into comorbidity of personality or mood disorders, state of the mind during alcohol consumption, types of beverages, environmental trigger, neurochemical changes, and gender differences that influence individual responses to alcohol intake and susceptibility to intoxicated aggression.

Childhood traumatic events and the dopaminergic theory of psychosis: A mini-review of studies investigating gene – environment interactions

There is great body of evidence showing a relationship between childhood adversity and psychosis onset. Genetic factors moderate the association between childhood adversity and psychosis risk potentially by influencing biological and/or psychological reaction following exposure to adversity. In this review, we discuss studies identifying the specific genetic variants known to affect dopamine levels involved in this interaction. Our review shows that the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2), AKT1 gene play a key role in mediating the relationship between childhood adversity and development of psychosis. We have also found conflicting findings on the impact of dopamine genes on the relationship between childhood adversity and development of psychosis, suggesting that other genetic and environmental factors should be taken into account. We here discuss the implications of our findings and future directions.

Association between childhood trauma, parental bonding and antisocial personality disorder in adulthood: A machine learning approach

Childhood trauma (CT) and parental bonding (PB) have been correlated with later antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Aiming to better understand this complex interaction we analyzed the data from a cross-sectional study that evaluated 346 male inpatient cocaine users, using both traditional statistical analysis and machine learning (ML) approaches. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) were applied. We found a markedly higher prevalence of mental illness in the ASPD group. The ML method and the traditional analysis showed that emotional and physical abuse were the factors with the strongest relationship with ASPD. Also, there were discrepancies between the findings of both methods regarding physical neglect and paternal care. Although this study does not allow definitive answers in this matter, we do propose that these two methods can aid in better comprehending how multiple variables interact with each other in the development of psychological disorders.

Attachment anxiety as mediator of the relationship between childhood trauma and personality dysfunction in borderline personality disorder

Insecure attachment has been described as mediating the relationship between childhood trauma and dysfunctional personality traits in different mental disorders. Despite the role insecure attachment and childhood trauma have independently demonstrated to play as determinants of borderline personality disorder, less is known about the mediating mechanisms explaining these associations. For the first time, we assessed adult attachment, childhood trauma and dimensional personality pathology in a sample of outpatients with borderline personality disorder and tested whether the association between childhood trauma and personality dysfunction was at least partially attributable to insecure attachment. The results showed that attachment anxiety fully mediated the relationship between specific types of trauma (emotional abuse and physical neglect) and emotional dysregulation. Further, emotional abuse was both directly associated with dissocial behaviour and indirectly via attachment anxiety (partial mediation). Emotional abuse has been described as an essential environmental factor for the development of borderline personality disorder and emotional dysregulation, on its part, as the core feature of the condition. Our results indicate that attachment anxiety explains the link between these central aspects of borderline personality disorder. Our findings are consistent with previous research and current etiological understanding of the condition and provide support for recommending a careful assessment of childhood traumatic experiences and adult attachment style to gain a more comprehensive insight into the symptoms and its heterogeneity. As a secondary aim, we assessed the effect parental mental illness may have in these mediation models, but no significant influence on childhood trauma, attachment or personality was found.

Antisocial Personality Problems in Emerging Adulthood: The Role of Family Functioning, Impulsivity, and Empathy

International research has evidenced the key role played by adults’ and adolescents’ family functioning, impulsivity, and empathy in antisocial personality problems. To date, no study has assessed the complex interaction between these variables during emerging adulthood. This study aimed to explore the possible interplay between antisocial personality problems, the quality of family functioning, impulsivity, and empathetic problems in a community sample of 350 emerging adults. Descriptive, correlational, hierarchical regression, and mediation analyses were performed, controlling relevant socio-demographic variables. Results showed a predictive effect of parental behavioral control, motor impulsivity, and empathetic concern in antisocial personality problems. Moreover, motor impulsivity and empathetic concern partially mediated the relationship between parental behavioral control and emerging adults’ antisocial personality problems. This study supports the recent evidence on the complex relationship between individual and relational protective and risk factors involved in antisocial personality problems during emerging adulthood, with important implications for their intervention treatments.

Parental bonding styles in schizophrenia, depressive and bipolar patients: a comparative study

BACKGROUND

Numerous bio-psychosocial factors play a role in the etiology of psychiatric disorders. In this regard, the relationship between parents and their children is significantly involved in developing the offspring mental health. However, there is no clear-cut answer as to which parental bonding style is more strongly associated with psychiatric diseases of patients. This study aimed to compare parental bonding styles in patients with schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder in Bushehr province, Iran in 2018.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional comparative study, 130 patients with schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder who referred to four outpatients psychiatric centers in Bushehr were selected using quota sampling. The patients were assessed and compared in terms of parental bonding styles. Data were collected using a valid and reliable parental bonding instrument (PBI). Data were analyzed using SPSS software (ver. 22), Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests at a significant level of 0.05.

RESULTS

Results showed that the optimal parental bonding style (low control, high care) in bipolar disorder (43.05%), major depression (47.7%), and schizophrenia (38.5%) was the most prevalent style of parental bonding; however, 62.30% of the above patients suffered from inefficient paternal bonding styles and 51.53% from inefficient maternal bonding styles. Furthermore, the patients' maternal bonding styles were significantly different (p = 0.007) while their paternal bonding styles did not show any significant differences (p = 0.848).

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the patients with psychiatric disorders were affected by ineffective parenting styles. The results also confirmed that despite the several bio-psycho-social factors involved in the development of psychiatric disorders, the crucial roles of parents, especially mothers, should not be ignored. It was further suggested that parents and parental bonding were important and fundamental factors for mental health promotion.