Childhood maltreatment and inflammation: Leveraging structural equation modeling to test the social signal transduction theory of depression.

BACKGROUND

The experience of childhood maltreatment has long been understood to increase the risk for experiencing depressive symptoms and is often associated with an overall worse course of illness when these symptoms are elevated to a major depressive episode. Despite this, current treatments for depression continue to require a need for a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

METHOD

We utilized structural equation modeling to test the effects of childhood maltreatment on inflammation and depressive symptoms. Inflammation was conceptualized as a latent variable, estimated by CRP, fibrinogen, IL-6, sICAM-1, sE-selectin, and TNF- α; whereas depressive symptoms were estimated using the subscales for the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale and childhood maltreatment was estimated using the subscales for the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Multivariate results identified that childhood maltreatment had a significant positive relationship with inflammation as well as depressive symptoms, and inflammation had a significant positive relationship with depressive symptoms. Notably, childhood maltreatment also had a significant positive relationship with perceived stress over the last month and this perceived stress had a positive relationship with depressive symptoms; however perceived stress had no relationship with inflammation.

LIMITATIONS

Data from the present study is cross-sectional, requiring replication with longitudinal data. Some measures such as childhood maltreatment were measured by self-report and should be replicated with verified reports.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide support for the Social Signal Transduction Theory of Depression, emphasizing the importance of the immune system and inflammation as a relevant mediator between early social treats and adulthood depressive symptoms.