Childhood maltreatment (CM) is linked to impairments in various domains of social functioning. Here, we argue that it is critical to identify factors that underlie impaired social functioning as well as processes that mediate the beneficial health effects of positive relationships in individuals exposed to CM. Key research recommendations are presented, focusing on: (1) identifying attachment-related alterations in specific inter- and intrapersonal processes (e.g., regulation of closeness and distance) that underlie problems in broader domains of social functioning (e.g., lack of perceived social support) in individuals affected by CM; (2) identifying internal (e.g., current emotional state) and external situational factors (e.g., cultural factors, presence of close others) that modulate alterations in specific social processes; and (3) identifying mechanisms that explain the positive health effects of intact social functioning. Methodological recommendations include: (1) assessing social processes through interactive and (close to) real-life assessments inside and outside the laboratory; (2) adopting an interdisciplinary, lifespan perspective to assess social processes, using multi-method assessments; (3) establishing global research collaborations to account for cultural influences on social processes and enable replications across laboratories and countries. The proposed line of research will contribute to globally develop and refine interventions that prevent CM and further positive relationships, which – likely through buffering the effects of chronic stress and corresponding allostatic load – foster resilience and improve mental and physical health, thereby reducing personal suffering and the societal and economic costs of CM and its consequences. Interventions targeting euthymia and psychological well-being are promising therapeutic concepts in this context.

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Pain impairs reward processing, and people suffering from physical pain are at high risk of having a persistently low mood. Although individuals with chronic pain have reported reduced reward responsiveness and impaired mood, it is not clear if reward responsiveness and mood are impaired in samples with sub-clinical pain scores otherwise healthy. Investigating a sub-clinical group is essential to disentangle the influence of medication on the behavioural effect of reward on mood and performance. Here, we aimed to examine the effects of reward on mood and performance in a sample of university students divided into a control group without clinically significant pain symptoms (N = 40) and the sub-clinical group with significant pain symptoms (N = 39). We used the Fribourg reward task and the pain sub-scale of the Symptom Checklist (SCL-27-plus) to assess the physical symptoms of pain. A significant positive correlation was found between average mood ratings and average monetary reward in the control group (r38 = 0.42, p = 0.008) and not significant in the sub-clinical group (r37 = 0.12, p = 0.46). The results might yield first insights into the relationship between pain and reward in sub-clinical populations without the confound of medication.

Background:The experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) is stressful. One objective way to monitor it is to assess victims' stress response by measuring the concentration of their salivary cortisol, the major stress hormone released by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Objective: We investigated how the IPV experienced by women in Cameroon affects their stress levels and those of their children. Method: We recruited 50 mother-child dyads exposed to IPV and a control group of 25 mother-child dyads. All mothers completed questionnaires, including the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale to assess IPV, the Sense of Coherence Scale, and the Self-Esteem Scale, to assess their psychological resources. Mothers were asked to collect 3 saliva samples from themselves and 3 from their children on a single weekday: immediately after waking up, 30 minutes after waking up, and 45 minutes after waking up. The total cortisol secretion over the first hour after awakening was determined by calculating the area under the curve with respect to the ground (AUCg). Results: Mothers exposed to IPV exhibited higher total post-awakening cortisol concentrations compared with those in the control group. However, no significant difference was found between exposed and non-exposed children. In addition, higher IPV, specifically injuries, was significantly and positively associated with greater AUCg among mothers exhibiting lower selfesteem. When self-esteem was high, however, no significant effect of IPV on AUCg was observed. Conclusions: Of particular clinical significance is that self-esteem can modulate the stress levels of women exposed to IPV, a valuable insight into the development of effective psychosocial interventions to support IPV victims in sub-Saharan Africa.La actividad del eje HPA y el efecto moderador en la autoestima en el contexto de violencia de pareja en Camerun Antecedentes: La experiencia de violencia de pareja (VIP) es estresante. Una forma objetiva de monitorearla es evaluar la respuesta al estrés de las víctimas midiendo la concentración de su cortisol salival, la principal hormona del estrés liberada por el eje hipotalámico-pituitarioadrenal. Objetivo: Investigamos cómo la VIP que experimentan las mujeres en Camerún afecta sus niveles de estrés y la de sus hijos. Método: Reclutamos 50 díadas madre-hijo expuestas a VIP y un grupo de control de 25 díadas madre-hijo. Todas las madres completaron cuestionarios, incluida