Psychiatry investigation

Korean Neuropsychiatric Association (대한신경정신의학회)
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The Impacts of Childhood Trauma on Psychosocial Features in a Chinese Sample of Young Adults

  • Wang, Dandan (Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province) ;
  • Lu, Shaojia (Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province) ;
  • Gao, Weijia (Department of Child Psychology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine) ;
  • Wei, Zhaoguo (Mental Health Institute of The Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University) ;
  • Duan, Jinfeng (Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province) ;
  • Hu, Shaohua (Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province) ;
  • Huang, Manli (Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province) ;
  • Xu, Yi (Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province) ;
  • Li, Lingjiang (Mental Health Institute of The Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University)
  • Received : 2018.04.09
  • Accepted : 2018.09.26
  • Published : 2018.11.30
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Abstract

Objective The aims of the present study were to explore the occurrence of childhood trauma and importantly to determine the impacts of childhood trauma on psychosocial features in a Chinese sample of young adults. Methods A survey was carried out in a group of 555 university students by using Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Dysfunctional Attitudes Questionnaire (DAS), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). The moderate-severe cut-off scores for CTQ were used to calculate the prevalence of childhood trauma, and then psychosocial features were compared between individuals with and without childhood trauma. Results A proportion of 18.6% of university students had self-reported childhood trauma exposures. Subjects with childhood trauma reported higher scores of SDS, SAS, DAS, and psychoticism and neuroticism dimensions of EPQ (t=4.311-5.551, p<0.001); while lower scores of SSRS and extraversion dimension of EPQ (t=-4.061- -3.039, p<0.01). Regression analyses further revealed that scores of SAS and DAS were positively (Adjusted B=0.211-0.230, p<0.05), while scores of SSRS were negatively (Adjusted B=-0.273- -0.240, p<0.05) associated with specific CTQ scores. Conclusion Childhood trauma is still a common social and psychological problem. Individuals with childhood trauma show much more depression, anxiety, distorted cognition, personality deficits, and lower levels of social support, which may represent the social and psychological vulnerability for developing psychiatric disorders after childhood trauma experiences.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Supported by : National Natural Science Foundation of China

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