Pierre Fossion1, Christophe Leys2, Chantal Kempenaers3, Stéphanie Braun3, Paul Verbanck1, Paul Linkowski3. 1. Brugmann Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. 2. Faculty of Psychology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: cleys@ulb.ac.be. 3. Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Depressive and anxiety disorders (DAD) are a major public health problem. Trauma endured during childhood is known to increase the risk of DAD in adulthood. We investigate the hypothesis that Sense of Coherence (SOC) is a mediator between childhood trauma and depressive and anxious symptoms (DAD) in adulthood. We also explore the nature (personality trait or aptitude) of SOC and attempt to disentangle the concepts of resilience and SOC. METHOD: Former hidden children (FHC), the Jewish youths who spent World War II in various hideaway shelters across Nazi-occupied Europe, were compared with a control group. In each group we measured the presence of multiple traumas, the resilience with the Resilience Scale for Adults, the DAD with the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist and the SOC with the SOC-13 self-report questionnaire. We tested a mediated moderation model with childhood Trauma as the predictor; Adulthood trauma as the moderator; SOC as the mediator; and DAD as the outcome variable. RESULTS: Results were consistent with a sensitization model of DAD partially mediated by SOC. A first component of SOC was similar to an aptitude and another part of SOC was more similar to a personality trait. LIMITATIONS: We are unable to differentiate if the sensitization process is a consequence of the nature of the trauma endured by FHC (long-standing exposure to extreme external events) or a consequence of the fact that this first trauma occurred during childhood. CONCLUSION: Our results could account for the controversial debate regarding the life time stability of SOC.
BACKGROUND:Depressive and anxiety disorders (DAD) are a major public health problem. Trauma endured during childhood is known to increase the risk of DAD in adulthood. We investigate the hypothesis that Sense of Coherence (SOC) is a mediator between childhood trauma and depressive and anxious symptoms (DAD) in adulthood. We also explore the nature (personality trait or aptitude) of SOC and attempt to disentangle the concepts of resilience and SOC. METHOD: Former hidden children (FHC), the Jewish youths who spent World War II in various hideaway shelters across Nazi-occupied Europe, were compared with a control group. In each group we measured the presence of multiple traumas, the resilience with the Resilience Scale for Adults, the DAD with the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist and the SOC with the SOC-13 self-report questionnaire. We tested a mediated moderation model with childhood Trauma as the predictor; Adulthood trauma as the moderator; SOC as the mediator; and DAD as the outcome variable. RESULTS: Results were consistent with a sensitization model of DAD partially mediated by SOC. A first component of SOC was similar to an aptitude and another part of SOC was more similar to a personality trait. LIMITATIONS: We are unable to differentiate if the sensitization process is a consequence of the nature of the trauma endured by FHC (long-standing exposure to extreme external events) or a consequence of the fact that this first trauma occurred during childhood. CONCLUSION: Our results could account for the controversial debate regarding the life time stability of SOC.
Authors: Christophe Leys; Ilios Kotsou; Rebecca Shankland; Mathilde Firmin; Sandrine Péneau; Pierre Fossion Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-11-30 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Sarah K Schäfer; Johanna Lass-Hennemann; Heinrich Groesdonk; Thomas Volk; Hagen Bomberg; Marlene Staginnus; Alexandra H Brückner; Elena Holz; Tanja Michael Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2018-09-19 Impact factor: 4.157