Childhood Adversity and Psychosocial Adjustment in Old Age

Overview

Journal Am J Geriatr Psychiatry

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2006 Apr 4

PMID 16582039

Citations 34

Authors

Robert S Wilson

Kristin R Krueger

Steven E Arnold

Lisa L Barnes

Carlos F Mendes de Leon

Julia L Bienias

David A Bennett

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that higher level of childhood adversity is associated with lower level of psychosocial adjustment in old age.

Method: Participants are 253 older persons (mean age: 79.8, standard deviation: 2.1; 73.9% women) from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a clinicopathologic study of common chronic conditions of old age. Childhood adversity was assessed with a 16-item measure based on portions of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and other inventories. Psychosocial adjustment was assessed with multiple measures of neuroticism (i.e., proneness to negative emotions) and social engagement.

Results: Based in part on a factor analysis, composite measures of total adversity, emotional neglect, parental intimidation, parental violence, family turmoil, and financial need were developed. In a series of linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, own education, and parental education, the composite measure of childhood adversity was associated with all facets of neuroticism and accounted for more than 13% of the variance in the composite neuroticism measure. Emotional neglect and parental intimidation had the strongest associations with neuroticism. Childhood adversity was not related to frequency of participation in social activities, but more adversity was associated with having a smaller network (accounting for 3% of the variance) and feeling more emotionally isolated (accounting for 7% of the variance).

Conclusion: Childhood adversity is associated with less adaptive psychosocial functioning in old age.

Citing Articles

An Examination of Underlying Domains in Childhood Adversity: A Scoping Review of Studies Conducting Factor Analyses on Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Willoughby K, Atallah S, Arbeau K, Pearce J, Ketelaars T, St Pierre J Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024; 21(11).

PMID: 39595708 PMC: 11593916. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21111441.

Residential Mobility in Childhood and Union Dissolution Later in Life.

Pertzikovitz A, Vidal S, de Valk H Eur J Popul. 2024; 40(1):30.

PMID: 39466490 PMC: 11519259. DOI: 10.1007/s10680-024-09717-3.

Childhood adversities and memory function in later life: the mediating role of activity participation.

Cai X, Bai X, Zhou S BMC Geriatr. 2024; 24(1):536.

PMID: 38902657 PMC: 11191259. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-05145-4.

Psychosocial experiences are associated with human brain mitochondrial biology.

Trumpff C, Monzel A, Sandi C, Menon V, Klein H, Fujita M Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024; 121(27):e2317673121.

PMID: 38889126 PMC: 11228499. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317673121.

Childhood neighbourhood quality, peer relationships, and trajectory of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

Yang L Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2024; 59(11):1999-2007.

PMID: 38289369 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-024-02612-6.

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