Specific types of childhood abuse and neglect and profiles of adult emotion dynamics

Abstract

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is experienced by ~40% of all children at major personal and societal costs. Studies show adverse consequences of CM on emotional functioning and regulation. This article focuses on differential imprint of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and/or neglect exteriences during childhood on emotional functionin later in life To study this, we calculated how intense, variable, unstable, inert, and diverse the daily emotions were of 290 Dutch adults (aged 19-73, measured thrice daily during 30 days (90 measurements per person, for five emotion dynamic indices). Participants described abuse/neglect retrospectively using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). In our structural equation model (SEM), only physical abuse was unrelated to all five emotion dynamic indices. Abuse and neglect showed specific patterns, e.g., emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and physical neglect associated mostly with negative emotions, and emotional neglect predominantly with positive emotion dynamics. CM types were associated differentialy with low versus high arousal emotion dynamics (i.e sexual abuse associated with increased and emotional neglect with reduced emotion dynamics). Dissecting CM effects on adult emotion dynamics may inform theories on the ontogenesis and functioning of emotions, theories on abuse and neglect and the prevention of their developmental sequalia, and help to identify and understand well-adjusted and (dys-)functional emotional development.

Childhood abuse and neglect and profiles of adult emotion dynamics

“…Previously, we argued that once children become adults, and feel that they no longer can be physically hurt, they may feel that their future is unlikely to be as bad as their past has been (a sense of control), which may result in fast recovery (resilience) or even show some positive growth. Some previous research is in line with this idea, as physical abuse has been found to be associated with an array of positive adult outcomes, such as higher positive affect, lower depressive and anxiety symptoms, more happiness, self-acceptance, personal autonomy, higher control and coping, among others (Jeronimus et al, 2023;Sudbrack et al, 2015).…”

Over generaties: Intergenerationele patronen van deviant gedrag

“…Met de daar aanwezige expertise kun nen we longitudinale vragenlijststudies aanvullen met obser vaties om zo dicht mogelijk bij die daadwerkelijke situatie te komen. Ik zie verschillende mogelijkheden om hierin samen te werken met Marijn van Dijk, Laura Cuijpers, maar ook Peter de Jonge, Annelieke Roest, Solemiia Myroniuk (die eerder al de variabiliteit in emoties onderzocht als reactie op het meemaken van verschillende vormen van geweld en verwaarlozing in de kindertijd [26]) en Bertus Jeronimus (die een scoping review uitvoerde naar Nederlandse systeemgerichte interventies bij slachtofferschap van huiselijk geweld [11]).…”