The Long-term Impact of Early Adversity on Late-life Psychiatric Disorders

Overview

Journal Curr Psychiatry Rep

Publisher Current Science

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2013 Feb 28

PMID 23443532

Citations 38

Authors

Anda Gershon

Keith Sudheimer

Rabindra Tirouvanziam

Leanne M Williams

Ruth OHara

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Early adversity is a strong and enduring predictor of psychiatric disorders including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse or dependence, and posttraumatic stress disorder. However, the mechanisms of this effect are not well understood. The purpose of this review is to summarize and integrate the current research knowledge pertaining to the long-term effects of early adversity on psychiatric disorders, particularly in late life. We explore definitional considerations including key dimensions of the experience such as type, severity, and timing of adversity relative to development. We then review the potential biological and environmental mediators and moderators of the relationships between early adversity and psychiatric disorders. We conclude with clinical implications, methodological challenges and suggestions for future research.

Citing Articles

Exploring the effects of adolescent social isolation stress on the serotonin system and ethanol-motivated behaviors.

McElroy B, Li C, McCloskey N, Alberici A, Kirby L Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2025; 242(4):763-781.

PMID: 39903245 PMC: 11890253. DOI: 10.1007/s00213-025-06749-3.

The Mediating Role of Sleep Quality, Regularity, and Insomnia on the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience.

Hillebrant-Openshaw M, Wong M J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2024; 17(2):1-11.

PMID: 38938965 PMC: 11199471. DOI: 10.1007/s40653-023-00595-1.

Transgenerational effects of early life stress on the fecal microbiota in mice.

Otaru N, Kourouma L, Pugin B, Constancias F, Braegger C, Mansuy I Commun Biol. 2024; 7(1):670.

PMID: 38822061 PMC: 11143345. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06279-2.

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation ameliorates adolescent depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors via hippocampus glycolysis and inflammation response.

Sun L, Ma S, Yu Y, Li X, Wei Q, Min L CNS Neurosci Ther. 2024; 30(2):e14614.

PMID: 38358062 PMC: 10867795. DOI: 10.1111/cns.14614.

Effects of Early Adverse Life Events on Depression and Cognitive Performance from the Perspective of the Heart-Brain Axis.

Xia Y, Wang G, Xiao L, Du Y, Lin S, Nan C Brain Sci. 2023; 13(8).

PMID: 37626530 PMC: 10452582. DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13081174.

References

Heim C, Newport D, Bonsall R, Miller A, Nemeroff C . Altered pituitary-adrenal axis responses to provocative challenge tests in adult survivors of childhood abuse. Am J Psychiatry. 2001; 158(4):575-81. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.158.4.575. View

MacMillan H, FLEMING J, Streiner D, Lin E, Boyle M, Jamieson E . Childhood abuse and lifetime psychopathology in a community sample. Am J Psychiatry. 2001; 158(11):1878-83. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.158.11.1878. View

Hazel N, Hammen C, Brennan P, Najman J . Early childhood adversity and adolescent depression: the mediating role of continued stress. Psychol Med. 2008; 38(4):581-9. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291708002857. View

Pajer K, Andrus B, Gardner W, Lourie A, Strange B, Campo J . Discovery of blood transcriptomic markers for depression in animal models and pilot validation in subjects with early-onset major depression. Transl Psychiatry. 2012; 2:e101. PMC: 3337072. DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.26. View

Gerritsen L, Geerlings M, Beekman A, Deeg D, Penninx B, Comijs H . Early and late life events and salivary cortisol in older persons. Psychol Med. 2009; 40(9):1569-78. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291709991863. View

Kaufman J, Plotsky P, Nemeroff C, Charney D . Effects of early adverse experiences on brain structure and function: clinical implications. Biol Psychiatry. 2000; 48(8):778-90. DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3223(00)00998-7. View

Bet P, Penninx B, Bochdanovits Z, Uitterlinden A, Beekman A, van Schoor N . Glucocorticoid receptor gene polymorphisms and childhood adversity are associated with depression: New evidence for a gene-environment interaction. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2008; 150B(5):660-9. DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.30886. View

Spangler G, Grossmann K . Biobehavioral organization in securely and insecurely attached infants. Child Dev. 1993; 64(5):1439-50. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1993.tb02962.x. View

MacLeod J, Nelson G . Programs for the promotion of family wellness and the prevention of child maltreatment: a meta-analytic review. Child Abuse Negl. 2000; 24(9):1127-49. DOI: 10.1016/s0145-2134(00)00178-2. View

10.

OHara R, Schroder C, Mahadevan R, Schatzberg A, Lindley S, Fox S . Serotonin transporter polymorphism, memory and hippocampal volume in the elderly: association and interaction with cortisol. Mol Psychiatry. 2007; 12(6):544-55. PMC: 2084475. DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4001978. View

11.

Harro J . Animal models of depression vulnerability. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2012; 14:29-54. DOI: 10.1007/7854_2012_221. View

12.

Green J, McLaughlin K, Berglund P, Gruber M, Sampson N, Zaslavsky A . Childhood adversities and adult psychiatric disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication I: associations with first onset of DSM-IV disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010; 67(2):113-23. PMC: 2822662. DOI: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.186. View

13.

Kessler R, Davis C, Kendler K . Childhood adversity and adult psychiatric disorder in the US National Comorbidity Survey. Psychol Med. 1997; 27(5):1101-19. DOI: 10.1017/s0033291797005588. View

14.

Mitra R, Sapolsky R . Gene therapy in rodent amygdala against fear disorders. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2010; 10(9):1289-303. DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2010.509341. View

15.

Binder E, Bradley R, Liu W, Epstein M, Deveau T, Mercer K . Association of FKBP5 polymorphisms and childhood abuse with risk of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in adults. JAMA. 2008; 299(11):1291-305. PMC: 2441757. DOI: 10.1001/jama.299.11.1291. View

16.

Graham J, Christian L, Kiecolt-Glaser J . Stress, age, and immune function: toward a lifespan approach. J Behav Med. 2006; 29(4):389-400. PMC: 2805089. DOI: 10.1007/s10865-006-9057-4. View

17.

Karst H, Nair S, Velzing E, Slagter E, Shinnick-Gallagher P, Joels M . Glucocorticoids alter calcium conductances and calcium channel subunit expression in basolateral amygdala neurons. Eur J Neurosci. 2002; 16(6):1083-9. DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2002.02172.x. View

18.

Heim C, Newport D, Heit S, Graham Y, Wilcox M, Bonsall R . Pituitary-adrenal and autonomic responses to stress in women after sexual and physical abuse in childhood. JAMA. 2000; 284(5):592-7. DOI: 10.1001/jama.284.5.592. View

19.

Wilson R, Krueger K, Arnold S, Barnes L, Mendes de Leon C, Bienias J . Childhood adversity and psychosocial adjustment in old age. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006; 14(4):307-15. PMC: 2740729. DOI: 10.1097/01.JGP.0000196637.95869.d9. View

20.

Bifulco A, Brown G, Adler Z . Early sexual abuse and clinical depression in adult life. Br J Psychiatry. 1991; 159:115-22. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.159.1.115. View