Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Psychosis Studies Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK.
Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2017 Oct;136(4):373-388. doi: 10.1111/acps.12775. Epub 2017 Jul 31.
Childhood trauma (CT) is associated with a range of psychopathologies, including psychosis. However, evidence on underlying mechanisms remains limited. The study aimed to investigate whether CT impacts on youth mental health by modifying sensitivity to stress in daily life.
The experience sampling method (ESM) was used to measure momentary stress, negative affect and psychotic experiences in 99 adolescents and young adults (43 help-seeking service users, 16 siblings and 40 controls). Before ESM assessments, CT and depressive, anxiety and psychotic symptoms were assessed.
Stress sensitivity, that is, the association between momentary stress and (i) negative affect and (ii) psychotic experiences, was modified by physical and emotional abuse and, partially, emotional and physical neglect, but not sexual abuse in service users and controls. While there was strong evidence for increased stress sensitivity in service users when high vs. low levels of CT were compared, a pattern of resilience was evident in controls, with attenuated, or no differences in, stress sensitivity in those with high vs. low CT levels. Less consistent findings were observed in siblings.
Stress sensitivity may be an important risk and resilience mechanism through which CT impacts on mental health in youth.
童年创伤（CT）与一系列精神病理学有关，包括精神病。然而，关于潜在机制的证据仍然有限。本研究旨在通过研究日常生活中对压力的敏感性来探讨 CT 是否会通过改变压力的敏感性来影响年轻人的心理健康。
使用经验采样方法（ESM）来测量 99 名青少年和年轻人（43 名寻求帮助的服务使用者、16 名兄弟姐妹和 40 名对照者）的即时压力、负面情绪和精神病体验。在 ESM 评估之前，评估了 CT 和抑郁、焦虑和精神病症状。
在服务使用者和对照组中，压力敏感性，即瞬间压力与（i）负面情绪和（ii）精神病体验之间的关联，受身体和情感虐待以及部分情感和身体忽视的影响，但不受性虐待的影响。虽然在比较 CT 高低水平时，服务使用者的压力敏感性明显增加，但在对照组中存在恢复力的模式，在 CT 高低水平组之间，压力敏感性没有差异，或者差异较小。在兄弟姐妹中观察到的结果则不太一致。
压力敏感性可能是 CT 通过影响年轻人的心理健康的一个重要风险和恢复力机制。
