Publication
Title
Gender differences in the associations between childhood adversity and psychopathology in the general population
Author
Abstract
PurposeTo explore gender differences of the associations between childhood adversity (CA) subtypes and psychiatric symptoms in the general population.MethodsData of 791 participants were retrieved from a general population twin cohort. The Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire were used to assess overall psychopathology with nine symptom domains scores and total CA with exposure to five CA subtypes, respectively. The associations between CA and psychopathology were analyzed in men and women separately and were subsequently compared.ResultsTotal CA was associated with total SCL-90 and all symptom domains without significant gender differences. However, the analyses of CA subtypes showed that the association between emotional abuse and total SCL-90 was stronger in women compared to men [& chi;2(1) = 4.10, P = 0.043]. Sexual abuse was significantly associated with total SCL-90 in women, but emotional neglect and physical neglect were associated with total SCL-90 in men. Exploratory analyses of CA subtypes and SCL-90 subdomains confirmed the pattern of gender-specific associations. In women, emotional abuse was associated with all symptom domains, and sexual abuse was associated with all except phobic anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity. In men, emotional neglect was associated with depression, and physical neglect was associated with phobic anxiety, anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive, paranoid ideation, and hostility subdomains.ConclusionCA is a trans-syndromal risk factor regardless of gender. However, differential associations between CA subtypes and symptom manifestation might exist. Abuse might be particularly associated with psychopathology in women, whereas neglect might be associated with psychopathology in men.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology. - Berlin
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Publication
Heidelberg : Springer heidelberg , 2024
ISSN
0933-7954
DOI
10.1007/S00127-023-02546-5
Volume/pages
59 :5 (2024) , p. 847-858
ISI
001063528200003
Pubmed ID
37624463
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 02.10.2023
Last edited 28.05.2024
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