Subjective experience of childhood adversity linked to mental health problems

Childhood adversities, such as maltreatment, bullying, and neighbourhood deprivation, are well‐established risk factors for mental disorders. However, it is unclear if the risk is driven by subjective self-report measures (capturing personal accounts of childhood adversity), or more objective measures like child protection or crime records.

Answering this question can help us better understand the pathways leading from childhood adversity to psychological and mental health problems and, in turn, develop effective interventions.

The researchers analysed 22 studies (comprising >18,000 individuals) to compare self-reports of childhood adversity with objective measures. Self-reports – which assess an individual’s subjective appraisal and memory of their experiences – are most commonly used in studies. More objective measures that do not rely on the target individual’s perception of their experiences include official records (e.g., child protection or crime records to assess maltreatment and neighbourhood violence), or reports from multiple informants unrelated to the target individual (e.g., peer reports to assess bullying).

The researchers first found only a moderate overlap between subjective and objective measures of childhood adversity. This suggests that individual perceptions and memories of adverse experiences do not closely match what is recorded more objectively.

Next, the researchers tested whether subjective and objective measures of childhood adversity were differentially associated with mental health problems. They found that subjective reports of childhood adversity were more strongly associated with mental health problems, relative to objective measures of childhood adversity.

For example, across 17 studies (comprising nearly 15,000 individuals), subjective self-reports of childhood adversity were associated with mental health problems, independent of corresponding objective measures. In contrast, objective measures of childhood adversity (such as official records or reports from multiple informants) showed no or minimal associations with mental health problems, independent of subjective measures.

Lead researcher on the study, Emma Francis (PhD student, UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences) said:

“This study suggests that the effects of childhood adversity on mental health are likely to be driven by a person’s subjective appraisal of the event.

This does not mean that objective experiences of childhood adversity do not matter for mental health. Rather, objective experiences are likely to impact mental health by leading to traumatic memories and harmful cognitions.”

Senior researcher on the study, Dr Jessie Baldwin (Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow, UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences) said:

“Our findings suggest that psychological treatments that address individuals’ memories and cognitive processes surrounding experiences of childhood adversity could help to reduce risk of mental health problems.”

Related

• Research in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
• Emma Francis’ academic profile
• Dr Jessie Baldwin’s academic profile
• Anna Tsaligopoulou’s academic profile
• Sarah Stock’s academic profile
• Professor Jean-Baptiste Pingault’s academic profile
• UCL Psychology and Language Sciences

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