Childhood trauma and somatic symptoms among psychiatric outpatients: Investigating the role of shame and guilt.

Psychiatry Res

White Rock/South Surrey Mental Health and Substance Use Services, 15521 Russell Avenue, White Rock, BC, Canada V4B 2R4.

Published: October 2018

AI Article Synopsis

  • Previous research indicates a connection between childhood maltreatment and adult somatic symptoms, but the mechanisms involved are unclear.
  • The study examined the roles of shame and guilt as mediators in this relationship among 99 Canadian psychiatric outpatients, focusing on types of emotional and sexual maltreatment.
  • Results showed that shame mediated the effects of emotional abuse and neglect on somatic symptoms, while childhood sexual abuse had a direct link to somatic distress.

Article Abstract

Previous research suggests a link between experiences of childhood maltreatment and adult somatic symptom distress. Contributing mechanisms, however, are not yet well understood. It is possible that shame and guilt may function as mediators in the relationship between childhood trauma and adult somatic distress. The present study was developed to investigate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adult somatic distress, including the potential mediating role of shame and guilt, among psychiatric outpatients. Using data from a sample of 99 Canadian psychiatric outpatients, mediation models with shame and guilt as parallel mediators were evaluated for relationships between childhood emotional abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and somatic symptoms. Controlling for current depressive symptoms, a significant indirect effect was found for the relationship between emotional abuse and shame, but not guilt, in contributing to somatic symptoms. A similar result was obtained regarding the mediating role of shame in the relationship between emotional neglect and somatic symptoms. Mediation was non-significant regarding childhood sexual abuse, which was directly related to somatic distress after controlling for depressive symptoms. The findings provide further evidence of the link between childhood trauma and somatic symptom distress, with shame as a mechanism for the effects of emotional abuse and neglect.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.06.072DOI Listing

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