The relationship between childhood traumatic life experiences and social anxiety disorders

Childhood Trauma Experiences and Influencing Factors in Individuals with Mental Disorders

Aim: This study aims to examine the prevalence of childhood trauma experiences in individuals with mental disorders and the relationship of these experiences with demographic and clinical characteristics.Material and Method: The study was conducted with 496 individuals who applied to the psychiatry outpatient clinic of a city hospital. Data were collected using the Introductory Information Form and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF). Data analysis was performed using independent samples t-test (two groups) and one-way ANOVA with SPSS 23.0.Results: Analysis of participants’ adverse experiences suggests that although childhood physical abuse declines with age, it remains more prevalent among single individuals, those who are employed, residents of rural areas, individuals reporting alcohol use, and those with poor sleep quality. Higher levels of childhood emotional abuse were observed among female patients, university graduates, and individuals diagnosed with depression. In addition, childhood physical and emotional neglect were more common among university-educated patients, those living with their families, individuals with a diagnosis of depression, those reporting tobacco and alcohol use, and individuals with a history of suicide attempts. However, emotional neglect scores were lower among participants with poorer economic status compared to other groups.Conclusion: Childhood trauma is prevalent among individuals with psychiatric disorders and shows variation across demographic and clinical characteristics.

THE IMPACT OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES ON MENTAL HEALTH AND INVOLVEMENT IN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS IN ADULTHOOD

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) constitute key etiological risk factors for the development of mental disorders and maladaptive interpersonal behavior. This study examines the relationship between the level of ACEs and the likelihood of future involvement in abusive relationships, alongside assessing accompanying indicators of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. The empirical research utilized a comprehensive psychodiagnostic battery, including the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE), General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), PTSD Checklist (PTCI), and Profile of Psychological Abuse Questionnaire. The sample comprised 214 respondents stratified into clinical and control groups. Data analysis involved comparative, correlational, and multiple regression methods. The study establishes a differentiated mapping of specific childhood traumas against adult psychopathology. Emotional abuse and neglect uniquely predict adult depression and anxiety. Material deprivation demonstrates a selective significant correlation with specific post-traumatic cognitions, including internalized self-blame and rigid negative beliefs about the self and the world. Childhood sexual abuse is verified as a universal catalyst inducing total mental destabilization across all measured clinical indicators. Witnessing interparental violence and parental mental illness selectively prime individuals for elevated generalized anxiety. Adults with a history of abusive relationships demonstrate significantly higher cumulative ACE scores and comorbid trauma symptoms. Early psychic trauma undermines the psychological defense system, fixing the individual in a vulnerable relational position. Effective clinical rehabilitation requires a paradigm shift from standard educational programs toward prolonged, trauma-informed psychotherapeutic interventions. Clinicians must assess the underlying childhood traumatic substrate to prevent potential relapses of adult re-victimization.

Prevalence of Childhood Adversity and Its Association with Depression, Anxiety, and Psychotic-like Experiences Among Young Indian Adults: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Childhood adversity is very common and strongly linked to poor mental health; globally, 60% of adults report at least one adverse childhood experience. Though evidence in India is limited, multisite data suggest that one in two young adults reports child maltreatment and family-level adversities. This study estimated the prevalence of childhood adversity and examined its association with depression, anxiety, and psychotic-like experiences among young adults in Chennai, India. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,000 college students aged 18–24 years from four colleges in Chennai, India. Childhood adversity was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Depression, anxiety, and psychotic-like experiences were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences-15. Correlation and multivariable analyses were performed after adjusting for age and gender. Results: Overall, 90.1% reported at least one form of childhood adversity. Physical abuse and emotional neglect were the most common subtypes. Higher childhood trauma scores were significantly associated with higher depression, anxiety, and psychotic-like experience scores. Emotional abuse showed an independent association with depression and anxiety, while physical neglect was significantly associated with psychotic-like experiences. Conclusions: Childhood adversity is highly prevalent among young adults in this urban Indian setting and strongly associated with multiple forms of psychopathology. Emotional abuse and physical neglect show subtype-specific mental health effects. These findings underscore the importance of early identification and integration of trauma-informed interventions focused on youth mental health to reduce long-term mental health problems.

Is childhood trauma a risk factor for somatization symptoms among young adults?

INTRODUCTION Childhood trauma is associated with long-term adverse mental and physical health outcomes, including somatic symptoms; however, this relationship has been underexplored among young adults in India. This study aimed to assess the association between childhood trauma and somatization in young adults. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted using Google Forms among 850 college students. Somatization was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), childhood trauma was measured with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), and personality traits were evaluated using the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10). RESULTS Of the 467 participants (55% response rate; mean age 21.9 years; 54.6% female), 39% reported experiencing childhood trauma. The prevalence of childhood trauma was significantly higher among somatizers (63.0%) compared to nonsomatizers (30.7%) (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.59-4.21). This association was particularly strong for emotional abuse (aOR = 3.92; 95% CI: 2.08-7.38) and sexual abuse (aOR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.11-3.39), as shown by multivariable binomial logistic regression analysis. Additionally, there was a significant trend of increasing somatization severity with a greater number of childhood trauma types (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Childhood trauma, especially emotional and sexual abuse, was strongly associated with somatization among young adults. These findings underscore the importance of screening for trauma and the development of trauma-focused interventions in this population.

Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Age, Gender and Anxiety Among Nigerian Students

This study explored the relationship between adverse childhood experiences, age, gender and anxiety among Nigerian students. A total of 322 participants (207 females, 115 males; ages 15–35, M = 22.33, SD = 4.583) were selected from secondary schools and higher institutions using availability and purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (Zung, 1971) and the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (Felitti et al., 1998), with age and gender recorded as demographic variables. A correlational design was employed, and data were analysed using Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS 27. Findings indicate that adverse childhood experiences show a moderate positive correlation with anxiety (r = .478* at p<.05), gender positively correlated with anxiety (r = .620* at p<.05). This emphasizing the influence of early-life experiences on students’ mental health.

Resilience and self-compassion as mediators between childhood trauma and social anxiety among young adults