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Wiss DA, Prelip ML, Upchurch DM, von Ehrenstein OS, Tomiyama AJ, Gorbach PM, Shoptaw SJ. Association between Childhood Maltreatment and Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Los Angeles. J Urban Health 2023; 100:327-340. [PMID: 36826734 PMCID: PMC9951846 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-023-00719-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with poor mental health outcomes in adulthood. Childhood maltreatment is related to both depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our objective was to investigate these associations among low-income, mostly Black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM), as these may be a particularly vulnerable population group. Data come from a longitudinal study of MSM with varied substance use behaviors (n = 321) collected between August 2014 and April 2022. Cumulative, childhood maltreatment ACEs, and the single ACE of childhood sexual abuse were investigated as potential predictors of self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms in mixed-effects logistic and ordinal regression models. There was no evidence of a dose-response relationship between the number of ACEs and the predicted probability of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Compared to MSM reporting fewer than five ACEs, those with five or more ACEs had approximately double the odds ratio of reporting depressive (OR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.04-3.60) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 2.21; 95% CI: 1.05-4.68). The dimension of childhood maltreatment had a more robust prediction of depressive symptoms than the dimension of household dysfunction across all models. The association between childhood sexual abuse history and depressive symptoms remained after adjustment for the other nine ACEs (OR = 2.27; 95% CI: 1.11-4.68). The ordinal logistic model suggested that cumulative ACEs more than triple the odds of being in a higher anxiety category (OR = 3.12; 95% CI: 1.58-6.14), with associations reported for childhood maltreatment ACEs (OR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.06-1.66) and childhood sexual abuse (OR = 1.93; 95% CI: 0.89-4.21). Childhood maltreatment ACEs, particularly childhood sexual abuse, are salient predictors of depressive and anxiety symptoms among adult urban MSM. Mitigating the impact of childhood maltreatment requires understanding the additional burden of social distress often faced by MSM throughout the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Wiss
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Michael L Prelip
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Dawn M Upchurch
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Ondine S von Ehrenstein
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - A Janet Tomiyama
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Pamina M Gorbach
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Steven J Shoptaw
- Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 10880 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
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Brewerton TD. Mechanisms by which adverse childhood experiences, other traumas and PTSD influence the health and well-being of individuals with eating disorders throughout the life span. J Eat Disord 2022; 10:162. [PMID: 36372878 PMCID: PMC9661783 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00696-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple published sources from around the world have confirmed an association between an array of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other traumatic events with eating disorders (EDs) and related adverse outcomes, including higher morbidity and mortality. METHODS In keeping with this Special Issue's goals, this narrative review focuses on the ACEs pyramid and its purported mechanisms through which child maltreatment and other forms of violence toward human beings influence the health and well-being of individuals who develop EDs throughout the life span. Relevant literature on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highlighted when applicable. RESULTS At every level of the pyramid, it is shown that EDs interact with each of these proclaimed escalating mechanisms in a bidirectional manner that contributes to the predisposition, precipitation and perpetuation of EDs and related medical and psychiatric comorbidities, which then predispose to early death. The levels and their interactions that are discussed include the contribution of generational embodiment (genetics) and historical trauma (epigenetics), social conditions and local context, the ACEs and other traumas themselves, the resultant disrupted neurodevelopment, subsequent social, emotional and cognitive impairment, the adoption of health risk behaviors, and the development of disease, disability and social problems, all resulting in premature mortality by means of fatal complications and/or suicide. CONCLUSIONS The implications of these cascading, evolving, and intertwined perspectives have important implications for the assessment and treatment of EDs using trauma-informed care and trauma-focused integrated treatment approaches. This overview offers multiple opportunities at every level for the palliation and prevention of EDs and other associated trauma-related conditions, including PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Brewerton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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Malet-Karas A, Bernard D, Piet E, Bertin E. Disordered eating as a repercussion of sexual assault: a consequence to consider. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:2095-2106. [PMID: 35015284 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-021-01356-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aims at clarifying the links between sexual violence and disordered eating (DE). METHODS In a sample of 12,638 victims of self-reported sexual violence, we analyzed the situation of 546 victims that declared having developed DE. We assessed the characteristics of the assault (age, type of aggression) and the medical consequences (PTSD, depression, suicide attempts, anxiety disorders, etc.). RESULTS DE prevalence was 4.3% in the victim sample. The age of the first assault in DE victims was significantly lower than that of the whole population (12 years vs 16 years for median; p < 0.001). A much higher prevalence of sexual assault consequences was present in victims developing DE with odd ratios (OR) for: self-mutilation (OR = 11.5 [8.29-15.95], p < 0.001); depression (OR = 5.7 [4.81-6.86], p < 0.001); self-medication (OR = 5.3 [3.86-7.19], p < 0.001); suicide attempts (OR = 4.5 [3.59-5.67], p < 0.001); post-traumatic stress disorder (OR = 3.8 [2.99-4.78], p < 0.001); anxiety troubles (OR = 5.2 [4.11-6.47], p < 0.001); alcoholism (OR = 4.0 [2.81-5.58], p < 0.001). CONCLUSION This study confirms the link between DE and sexual violence, especially in childhood, leading to severe psychological consequences. In this context, DE should be envisaged as a coping strategy accompanying emotional dysregulation due to traumatic events, and be treated as such. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level IV: Evidence obtained from multiple time series analysis such as case studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Delphine Bernard
- Association "Le Regard du Miroir", 5 Boulevard Foch BP 62732, 51100, Reims, France
| | - Emmanuelle Piet
- Association "Collectif féministe contre le viol (CFCV)", Paris, France
| | - Eric Bertin
- Clinical Nutrition Transversal Unit (UTNC) of Reims University Hospital and Performance, Health, Metrology, Society Laboratory (PSMS, EA 7507) of Reims Champagne-Ardenne University, Reims, France.
- Hôpital Robert Debré, Unité 63 Nutrition, 45 rue Cognacq Jay, 51092, Reims, France.
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Wiss DA, Brewerton TD, Tomiyama AJ. Limitations of the protective measure theory in explaining the role of childhood sexual abuse in eating disorders, addictions, and obesity: an updated model with emphasis on biological embedding. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:1249-1267. [PMID: 34476763 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-021-01293-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to its immediate negative consequences, childhood sexual abuse is associated with lifelong deleterious mental and physical health outcomes. This review employs a biopsychosocial perspective to better understand pathways from childhood sexual abuse to eating disorders, food and drug addictions, and obesity across the life course. Guided by an updated conceptual model, this review delineates how the biological embedding of childhood sexual abuse triggers a cascade of interrelated conditions that often result in failed attempts at weight suppression and eventually obesity. Such biological embedding involves pathways such as inflammation, allostatic load, reward sensitivity, activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, epigenetics, and structural and functional changes in the brain. These pathways are in turn theorized to lead to food addiction, substance use disorder, and eating disorders-each with potential pathways toward obesity over time. Predisposing factors to childhood sexual abuse including gender, culture, and age are discussed. This model calls into question the longstanding "protective measure" theory that purports individuals exposed to sexual abuse will deliberately or subconsciously gain weight in attempt to prevent future victimization. A more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms by which childhood sexual abuse becomes biologically embedded may help clinicians and survivors normalize and/or address disordered eating and weight-related outcomes, as well as identify intervention strategies.Level of evidence: Level V: opinions of respected authorities, based on descriptive studies, narrative reviews, clinical experience, or reports of expert committees.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Wiss
- Community Health Sciences Department, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Timothy D Brewerton
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - A Janet Tomiyama
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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Schaefer LM, Hazzard VM, Wonderlich SA. Treating eating disorders in the wake of trauma. THE LANCET. CHILD & ADOLESCENT HEALTH 2022; 6:286-288. [PMID: 35305701 PMCID: PMC9750802 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-4642(22)00072-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Brewerton TD, Suro G, Gavidia I, Perlman MM. Sexual and gender minority individuals report higher rates of lifetime traumas and current PTSD than cisgender heterosexual individuals admitted to residential eating disorder treatment. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:813-820. [PMID: 34057704 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-021-01222-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with eating disorders (EDs), which occur across all sexual orientations and gender identities. Prior traumas and PTSD also are reported to occur significantly more frequently in individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, non-binary, or other (LGBTQ+), but little is known about rates of PTSD in LGBTQ+ individuals with EDs admitted to residential treatment (RT). METHOD Our sample included 542 adults with DSM-5 EDs admitted to RT at seven sites in the U.S. Rates of current presumptive PTSD (PTSD +) by LGBTQ + status were determined by responses on the Life Events Checklist (LEC-5) and the PTSD Symptom Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). RESULTS Nearly 24% of admitting individuals self-reported as LGBTQ+, and these individuals had significantly higher LEC-5 total scores (5.6 v. 4.9), PCL-5 total scores (41.9 v. 34.0), and rates of PTSD+ (63% v. 45%) than non-LGBTQ+ individuals. The LGBTQ+ with PTSD+ group reported (1) significantly more unwanted sexual experiences, sexual assaults, physical assaults, and severe human suffering experiences, and (2) significantly greater ED, depressive and trait-anxiety symptoms than the non-LGBTQ+ group with PTSD+. CONCLUSIONS LGBTQ+ individuals had significantly higher rates of high impact lifetime traumas and presumptive PTSD+, as well as greater ED and comorbid symptom severity, than non-LGBTQ+ individuals. Development, implementation and assessment of integrated treatment protocols for LGBTQ+ individuals with an ED and PTSD+ is warranted to address the needs of this underserved and often overlooked population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III: Evidence obtained from cohort or case-control analytic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Brewerton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. .,Timothy D. Brewerton, MD, LLC, Mount Pleasant, SC, USA. .,Monte Nido and Affiliates, Miami, FL, USA.
| | | | | | - Molly M Perlman
- Monte Nido and Affiliates, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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Brewerton TD, Gavidia I, Suro G, Perlman MM, Genet J, Bunnell DW. Provisional posttraumatic stress disorder is associated with greater severity of eating disorder and comorbid symptoms in adolescents treated in residential care. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2021; 29:910-923. [PMID: 34523192 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Past traumatic events, subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related psychiatric comorbidities are commonly associated with eating disorders (EDs) in adults but remain understudied in adolescents. METHODS Adolescent participants (mean [SD] age = 15.1 ± 1.5 years, 96.5% female) with EDs entering residential treatment (n = 647) at six sites in the United States completed validated self-report assessments of ED, PTSD, major depression, anxiety disorders and quality of life. Provisional DSM-5 PTSD diagnoses (PTSD+) were made via the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, admission interviews and the PTSD Symptom Checklist for DSM-5. RESULTS PTSD+ occurred in 35.4% of participants, and those with ED-PTSD+ had significantly higher scores on all assessments (p ≤ 0.001), including measures of ED psychopathology, major depression, anxiety disorders and quality of life, as well as significantly higher rates of all forms of childhood trauma. Those with PTSD+ also exhibited a significantly higher percent median body mass index for age and sex and a lower propensity toward anorexia nervosa, restricting type. CONCLUSIONS Results confirm that adolescent patients in residential treatment with ED-PTSD+ are more symptomatic and have worse quality of life than their ED counterparts without PTSD. Integrated treatment approaches that effectively address ED-PTSD+ are greatly needed in ED programs that treat adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Brewerton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.,LLC, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, USA.,Monte Nido and Affiliates, Miami, Florida, USA
| | | | - Giulia Suro
- Monte Nido and Affiliates, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Molly M Perlman
- Monte Nido and Affiliates, Miami, Florida, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | | | - Douglas W Bunnell
- Monte Nido and Affiliates, Miami, Florida, USA.,Private Practice, Westport, Connecticut, USA
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