Childhood physical maltreatment, perceived social isolation, and internalizing symptoms: a longitudinal, three‑wave, population‑based study

• Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
• Main Author: Sheikh, Mashhood Ahmed
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Verlag (Germany) 2017
• Subjects: VDP::Medisinske Fag: 700; VDP::Medical disciplines: 700; Psychological well-being; Psychological distress; Social support; Anxiety; Depression; Childhood abuse; Emotional distress; Loneliness; Mental helse: Forskningsdesign og metodologi; Mental Health : Research design and methodologies; Tromsø
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10037/13228; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-1090-z

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-1090-z . A number of cross-sectional studies have consistently shown a correlation between childhood physical maltreatment, perceived social isolation and internalizing symptoms. Using a longitudinal, three-wave design, this study sought to assess the mediating role of perceived social isolation in adulthood in the association between childhood physical maltreatment and internalizing symptoms in adulthood. We used data collected from 1994 to 2008 within the framework of the Tromsø Study (N = 4530), a representative prospective cohort study of men and women. Perceived social isolation was measured at a mean age of 54.7 years, and internalizing symptoms were measured at a mean age of 61.7 years. The difference-in-coefficients method was used to assess the indirect effects and the proportion (%) of mediated effects. Childhood physical maltreatment was associated with an up to 68% [relative risk (RR) = 1.68, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33–2.13] higher risk of perceived social isolation in adulthood. Childhood physical maltreatment and perceived social isolation in adulthood were associated with greater levels of internalizing symptoms in adulthood (p < 0.01). A dose-response association was observed between childhood physical maltreatment and internalizing symptoms in adulthood (p < 0.001). Perceived social isolation in adulthood mediated up to 14.89% (p < 0.05) of the association between childhood physical maltreatment and internalizing symptoms in adulthood. The results of this study indicate the need to take perceived social isolation into account when considering the impact of childhood physical maltreatment on internalizing symptoms.