Objective

Children who experience maltreatment are prone to exhibit interpersonal deficits and lack secure attachment, which can lead to internalizing and externalizing symptomology. This study investigated timing and chronicity of maltreatment and its impacts on psychopathology outcomes in young adulthood. We examined two interpersonal mediators: problems with peers and childhood attachment security.

Method

Children with and without maltreatment exposure were recruited to take part in a one-week research summer camp (N = 697; M_age = 11.29 [SD = .97]; 71.3% Black or African American; 50.5% male). Participants were re-contacted in young adulthood to complete a second wave of assessments (N = 427, M_age = 19.67 [SD = 1.16]; 78.0% Black or African American; 48.9% male). We used structural equation modeling to estimate indirect effects from child maltreatment timing to young adult internalizing and externalizing symptomology via childhood attachment security and peer problems.

Results

Findings highlighted the detrimental impact of chronic maltreatment, which was associated with higher levels of peer problems (β = .24, p < .001) and less secure attachment (β = -.13, p < .01) in childhood. We also found that lower attachment quality in childhood mediated the association between chronic maltreatment and self-reported internalizing (α*β = .02, p < .05) and externalizing symptomology (α*β = .02, p < .05). Additionally, childhood peer problems mediated the association between chronic maltreatment and caregiver-reported internalizing problems (α*β = .04, p < .05).

Conclusion

Chronic maltreatment is particularly harmful for children’s interpersonal outcomes. Mediation findings differed by who reported on psychopathology, showing the importance of considering multi-reporter measures of psychopathology.

中文翻译：

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儿童虐待时间与年轻人内化和外化症状之间的人际机制

客观的

遭受虐待的儿童容易表现出人际交往缺陷并缺乏安全依恋，这可能导致内化和外化症状。这项研究调查了虐待的时间和长期性及其对青年期精神病理学结果的影响。我们研究了两个人际调解因素：同龄人问题和童年依恋安全感。

方法

招募有或没有遭受虐待的儿童参加为期一周的研究夏令营（N = 697；M_年龄= 11.29 [SD = .97]；71.3% 黑人或非裔美国人；50.5% 男性）。参与者在成年后被重新联系以完成第二波评估（N = 427，M_年龄= 19.67 [SD = 1.16]；78.0% 黑人或非裔美国人；48.9% 男性）。我们使用结构方程模型来估计儿童虐待时间对年轻人通过童年依恋安全和同伴问题内化和外化症状的间接影响。

结果

研究结果强调了长期虐待的有害影响，这与童年时期较高水平的同伴问题（β = .24， p < .001）和较不安全的依恋（β = -.13，p < .01）有关。我们还发现，童年时期依恋质量较低介导了慢性虐待与自我报告的内化（α*β = .02，p < .05）和外化症状（α*β = .02，p < .05）之间的关联。此外，童年时期的同伴问题介导了慢性虐待与照顾者报告的内化问题之间的关联（α*β = .04，p < .05）。

结论

长期虐待对儿童的人际关系尤其有害。调解结果因报告精神病理学的人而异，这表明考虑多报告者的精神病理学测量的重要性。