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Haim-Nachum S, Sopp MR, Lüönd AM, Afzal N, Åhs F, Allgaier AK, Arévalo A, Asongwe C, Bachem R, Balle SR, Belete H, Belete Mossie T, Berzengi A, Capraz N, Ceylan D, Dukes D, Essadek A, Fares-Otero NE, Halligan SL, Hemi A, Iqbal N, Jobson L, Levy-Gigi E, Martin-Soelch C, Michael T, Oe M, Olff M, Örnkloo H, Prakash K, Quaatz SM, Raghavan V, Ramakrishnan M, Reis D, Şar V, Schnyder U, Seedat S, Shihab IN, Vandhana S, Wadji DL, Wamser R, Zabag R, Spies G, Pfaltz MC. Childhood maltreatment is linked to larger preferred interpersonal distances towards friends and strangers across the globe. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:339. [PMID: 39179529 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02980-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) is thought to be associated with altered responses to social stimuli and interpersonal signals. However, limited evidence exists that CM is linked to larger comfortable interpersonal distance (CID) - the physical distance humans prefer towards others during social interactions. However, no previous study has investigated this association in a comprehensive sample, yielding sufficient statistical power. Moreover, preliminary findings are limited to the European region. Finally, it is unclear how CM affects CID towards different interaction partners, and whether CID is linked to social functioning and attachment. To address these outstanding issues, adults (N = 2986) from diverse cultures and socio-economic strata completed a reaction time task measuring CID towards an approaching stranger and friend. Higher CM was linked to a larger CID towards both friends and strangers. Moreover, insecure attachment and less social support were associated with larger CID. These findings demonstrate for the first time that CM affects CID across countries and cultures, highlighting the robustness of this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilat Haim-Nachum
- Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Marie R Sopp
- Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Antonia M Lüönd
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nimrah Afzal
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Fredrik Åhs
- Department of Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden
| | | | - Adrián Arévalo
- Universidad de Piura, Facultad de Medicina, Lima, Peru
- Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Facultad de Medicina "San Fernando", Lima, Peru
| | - Christian Asongwe
- Department of History, Faculty of Arts, University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon
| | - Rahel Bachem
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie R Balle
- Department of Psychology, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Habte Belete
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Tilahun Belete Mossie
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Azi Berzengi
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Deniz Ceylan
- Department of Psychiatry, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Daniel Dukes
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aziz Essadek
- Interpsy EA4432, University of Lorraine, Nancy, France
- Hôpitaux de Saint-Maurice, Saint-Maurice, France
| | - Natalia E Fares-Otero
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clínic, Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica (FCRB), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sarah L Halligan
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Alla Hemi
- Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Naved Iqbal
- Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Laura Jobson
- School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Einat Levy-Gigi
- Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | | | - Tanja Michael
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Misari Oe
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Kurume University, Kurume, Japan
| | - Miranda Olff
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience & Public Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Diemen, The Netherlands
| | - Helena Örnkloo
- Department of Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden
| | - Krithika Prakash
- Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, USA
| | - Sarah M Quaatz
- Department of Psychology, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Vijaya Raghavan
- Schizophrenia Research Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Dorota Reis
- Research Group Applied Statistical Modeling, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Vedat Şar
- Department of Psychiatry, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ulrich Schnyder
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- South African Research PTSD Programme of Excellence, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council / Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Susilkumar Vandhana
- Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital (KKCTH), Nungambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Dany Laure Wadji
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Rachel Wamser
- Psychological Sciences Faculty, University of Missouri - St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Reut Zabag
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Georgina Spies
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- South African Research PTSD Programme of Excellence, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council / Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Monique C Pfaltz
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Department of Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden.
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