Publications by authors named "M Pfaltz"

Background: Somatic symptoms, such as chronic pain, fatigue, and gastrointestinal disturbances, are commonly reported in individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM), which includes various forms of abuse and neglect experienced before age 18. Although CM is strongly associated with somatic symptoms, the specific relationships between CM subtypes and these symptoms, as well as the mechanisms connecting them, remain insufficiently understood. This review examines the complex interaction between CM and somatic symptoms, which often coexist with mental disorders and significantly impact quality of life and healthcare systems.

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Article Synopsis
  • Perceived social support plays a crucial role in predicting the severity of PTSD and complex PTSD symptoms after experiencing trauma, but gender differences in responses to this support have not been extensively studied.
  • In a study involving 2,483 adults across 39 countries, it was found that females reported higher PTSD and complex PTSD symptoms compared to males, while no significant gender differences in perceived social support were observed.
  • Both male and female participants with low perceived social support experienced greater PTSD and complex PTSD symptoms, with some evidence suggesting that the relationship between perceived social support and PTSD symptoms might be stronger for males.
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Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) poses a significant risk to mental health, especially among adolescents. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the association between CSA and adolescent psychopathology. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines, we conducted an extensive search across multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Science Direct, Embase, and ProQuest, resulting in 27,207 observational studies.

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Childhood maltreatment (CM) is thought to be associated with altered responses to social stimuli and interpersonal signals. However, limited evidence exists that CM is linked to larger comfortable interpersonal distance (CID) - the physical distance humans prefer towards others during social interactions. However, no previous study has investigated this association in a comprehensive sample, yielding sufficient statistical power.

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Previous studies report a preference for larger comfortable interpersonal distance (CIPD) in individuals with child maltreatment (CM) when being approached by others. Yet, research on approaching others, as opposed to being approached, as well as on potential effects of social anxiety and depression is lacking. We investigated if CM and depressive symptoms influence CIPD and if social anxiety mediates the possible association of CM and CIPD when approaching a female stranger.

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