Trust As a Mediator in the Relationship Between Childhood Sexual Abuse and IL-6 Level in Adulthood

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2020 May 16

PMID 32413063

Citations 2

Authors

Siu-Man Ng

Ling-Li Leng

Qian Wen Xie

Jessie S M Chan

Celia H Y Chan

Kwok Fai So

Ang Li

Kevin K T Po

L P Yuen

Kam-Shing Ku

Anna W M Choi

Zoe Chouliara

Amos C Y Cheung

Cecilia L W Chan

Clifton Emery

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been shown to predict the coupling of depression and inflammation in adulthood. Trust within intimate relationships, a core element in marital relations, has been shown to predict positive physical and mental health outcomes, but the mediating role of trust in partners in the association between CSA and inflammation in adulthood requires further study. The present study aimed to examine the impact of CSA on inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6 and IL-1β) in adults with depression and the mediating role of trust. A cross-sectional survey data set of adults presenting with mood and sleep disturbance was used in the analysis. CSA demonstrated a significant negative correlation with IL-6 level (r = -0.28, p<0. 01) in adults with clinically significant depression, while trust showed a significant positive correlation with IL-6 level (r = 0.36, p < .01). Sobel test and bootstrapping revealed a significant mediating role for trust between CSA and IL-6 level. CSA and trust in partners were revealed to have significant associations with IL-6 level in adulthood. Counterintuitively, the directions of association were not those expected. Trust played a mediating role between CSA and adulthood levels of IL-6. Plausible explanations for these counterintuitive findings are discussed.

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