Chen MA, Fagundes CP. Childhood maltreatment, emotion regulation strategies and depressive symptoms during spousal bereavement.
CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022;
128:105618. [PMID:
35344805 DOI:
10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105618]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Childhood maltreatment increases the risk of depression, especially after experiencing a stressful life event, such as bereavement. Employing emotion regulation strategies can mitigate the impact childhood maltreatment has on depression later in life following the loss of a spouse.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated how cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression moderated the impact of childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms following spousal bereavement.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING
We examined 130 bereaved individuals 3 months after the death of a spouse, 4 months after the death of a spouse, and 6 months after the death of a spouse.
METHODS
We utilized a mixed model approach to test the interaction between childhood maltreatment and cognitive reappraisal and between childhood maltreatment and expressive suppression to predict depressive symptoms across 3 time points.
RESULTS
Cognitive reappraisal moderated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms (b = - 0.17,p = .003); expressive suppression did not (b = 0.06,p = .452). Participants who used less cognitive reappraisal had a positive relationship between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms (b = 3.27,p < .001);participants who used more cognitive reappraisal did not (b = 1.09,p = .065).
CONCLUSIONS
Childhood maltreatment interacted with cognitive reappraisal, but not expressive suppression, to predict depressive symptoms following spousal bereavement. This study reveals how emotion regulation strategies can be utilized as a tool to buffer the impact of childhood maltreatment on mental health following a stressor later in life, which can serve as a target for future interventions for individuals experiencing a stressful life event.
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