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The direct relation of CM to obsessive-compulsive symptoms and general OCD severity (Standardized coefficients). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), childhood maltreatment (CM), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS). * p<0.001
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Although childhood maltreatment (CM) is one of the important factors in the psychopathology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), it may affect OCD along with other potential factors such as behavioral inhibition. Thus, the current research was conducted to determine the direct effect of CM on obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms and its indirect e...
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... The proposition of a repeated traumarelated disorder, as articulated by Herman, underscores the potentially profound impact of OCD overall, implying that various traumatic experiences contribute to the severity of symptoms. Studies also reveal that exposure to childhood trauma is linked to increased symptoms across specific domains of OCD, including contamination, responsibility for harm, unacceptable thoughts, symmetry, aggression, sexual and religious obsessions, as well as ritualistic compulsions [38]. These individual differences and the overarching impact of childhood trauma on OCD severity underscore the importance of examining different subtypes of childhood trauma and OCD symptoms rather than solely focusing on total scores. ...
Background and Objectives: Traumatic events adversely affect the clinical course of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Our study explores the correlation between prolonged interpersonal trauma and the severity of symptoms related to OCD and anxiety disorders. Materials and Methods: The study follows a cross-sectional and observational design, employing the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) to examine areas linked to interpersonal trauma, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) to assess anxious and obsessive–compulsive symptoms, respectively. Descriptive analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: We recruited 107 OCD-diagnosed patients, categorizing them into subgroups based on the presence or absence of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD). The ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in the onset age of OCD (p = 0.083), psychiatric familial history (p = 0.023), HAM-A, and Y-BOCS (p < 0.0001). Logistic regression indicated a statistically significant association between the presence of cPTSD and Y-BOCS scores (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The coexistence of cPTSD in OCD exacerbates obsessive–compulsive symptoms and increases the burden of anxiety. Further advancements in this field are crucial for mitigating the impact of early trauma on the trajectory of OCD and associated anxious symptoms.
... They were also common and severe issues among Chinese university students (Fu et al. 2018). Numerous studies have documented a significant relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental problems, as well as behaviors problems (Kadivari et al. 2022;Lamela and Figueiredo 2018;McRae et al. 2022). ...
... A burgeoning study about exposure during early life to childhood maltreatment showed that, in addition to mental or behaviors problems (Kadivari et al. 2022;Lamela and Figueiredo 2018;McRae et al. 2022), childhood maltreatment was related to a range of cognitive function impairments and psychological disorders (Su et al. 2019;Xiao et al. 2021). Associations between maltreatment experience and executive function have been certified consistently in adolescents and adults (Letkiewicz et al. 2021;Mothes et al. 2015). ...
Creativity plays a very crucial impact on our cultural life and has also been important to the improvement of human civilization. Numerous studies have indicated that family circumstance plays an important role in the development of individual creativity. However, little is known about the mediating mechanisms underlying the association between childhood maltreatment and creativity. This study intended to explore the serial multiple mediation model in which undergraduates’ cognitive flexibility and self-efficacy were proposed to mediate the potential influence of childhood maltreatment on their creativity. Participants were 1069 undergraduates (573 males and 496 females, mean age was 20.57 ± 1.24 years ranging from 17 to 24) from a university in Shandong Province, China. Participants were required to complete an internet survey including the Short Form of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), and Williams Creativity Aptitude Test (WCAT). Serial multiple mediation analysis and the bootstrap method were used to investigate the mediation effects of cognitive flexibility and self-efficacy. The results showed that childhood maltreatment indirectly influenced undergraduates’ creativity through three indirect paths: childhood maltreatment→cognitive flexibility→creativity, childhood maltreatment→self-efficacy→creativity, and childhood maltreatment→cognitive flexibility→self-efficacy→creativity. The ratios of the total indirect effects and branch-indirect effects to the total effects were 92.73%, 34.61%, 35.68%, and 22.44%, respectively. These results indicated that cognitive flexibility and self-efficacy could completely mediate the potential impact of childhood maltreatment on individuals creativity.
The contribution of childhood emotional maltreatment to depressive symptoms has been well-established in previous research. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research examining the potential role of emotional and cognitive self-regulatory strategies used by individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder to cope with unpleasant experiences. This study aimed to investigate the effects of childhood emotional maltreatment on depressive symptoms in a sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 300), with a specific focus on the mediating role of self-regulatory strategies, including experiential avoidance, cognitive avoidance, and emotional suppression. Participants completed various measures, including the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, the Emotion Regulation Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. The results revealed that childhood emotional maltreatment had a significant direct effect on depressive symptoms, while controlling for the severity of the disease. Furthermore, experiential avoidance was identified as a significant mediator, while cognitive avoidance and emotional suppression did not show any significant mediation effects. These findings suggest that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder who have experienced emotional maltreatment during childhood may employ ineffective coping mechanisms, which could potentially contribute to the development of depressive symptoms. Hence, when addressing depressive symptoms in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder, it is crucial to consider their experience of childhood maltreatment and the strategies they use in order to effectively manage their distressing encounters, illness, and associated clinical consequences.
Previous studies have reported childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) to be associated with specific obsessive‐compulsive (OC) symptoms, but maladaptive coping, which may be the underlying mechanism in this relationship, has not been evaluated yet. Thus, the present study aimed to examine the effects of CEM on the OC symptoms of responsibility for harm and unacceptable thoughts, as well as OCD severity, through maladaptive coping, including cognitive avoidance, experiential avoidance, and emotional suppression in OCD patients (n=360). The results showed that CEM had direct effects, as well as indirect effects via cognitive and experiential avoidance and emotional suppression, on responsibility for harm and unacceptable thoughts. In addition, the indirect effect of CEM on OCD severity was significantly mediated by the roles of cognitive avoidance and experiential avoidance. The present study adds new literature to evidence indicating the role of early childhood events in developing and maintaining OCD in which adverse maladaptive coping related to unpleasant childhood abuse plays an important role in OCD. More precisely, OCD patients who experience a history of CEM may further use maladaptive coping to cope with their distress and subsequently experience responsibility for harm, unacceptable thoughts, and severe OCD.
