Early Life Adversity and Childhood Maltreatment

Childhood sexual abuse is consistently linked to lower sexual assertiveness in adulthood. This negative association persists across diverse cultures and gender identities.

Researchers have found that female biology responds uniquely to early-life trauma. Women who identified childhood events as their worst trauma demonstrated significantly lower stress hormone levels during testing, a pattern distinct from their male counterparts.

Researchers found that while mindfulness helps many, those with childhood trauma histories are at higher risk for adverse effects like flashbacks when treating active depression.

A ten-year study of older adults indicates that adverse childhood experiences leave a lasting mark on cognitive abilities. This negative link persists even when accounting for distinct patterns of physical and mental aging.

The dissolution of a marriage may cast a long shadow on children’s health. A new study links parental divorce during childhood to a 61 percent increased risk of stroke in adults over age 65.

A study finds that women raised in unstable environments often develop impulsive or callous personality traits. These characteristics are linked to a “faster” reproductive strategy, resulting in more sexual partners and earlier sexual debut.

A new study suggests a pattern of spontaneous brain activity acts as an intermediary, connecting adverse childhood experiences with the negative thinking styles found in mood disorders. This may explain how early adversity becomes biologically embedded.

The scars of childhood abuse may extend to the aging brain. New research following participants for over 30 years shows that documented maltreatment predicts lower intelligence scores and faster cognitive decline by age 59.

Feeling lonely as a child may leave lasting scars on the brain. Researchers analyzed over 13,000 adults and found that childhood loneliness is linked to faster cognitive decline and a higher risk of dementia.

Early-life abuse or neglect could increase the risk of premature death. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that adults with certain medical conditions and a history of childhood adversity were significantly more likely to die from any cause.

A new study reveals that altered activity in the brain's left precuneus mediates the link between childhood trauma and aggression in teens with internet gaming disorder.

New research suggests that the quality of childhood relationships with parents may be linked to the development of certain sexual interests in adulthood.

Even in typically developing children, exposure to trauma appears linked to changes in brain regions that support attention and self-control, according to new research. The study also found sex-specific differences in how these brain responses were affected.

A mother's early life adversity may leave a biological signature in her breast milk, which in turn appears to be associated with her infant's developing temperament.

A new study indicates that both family struggles and outside stressors shape adolescent behavior and wellbeing. The results suggest a two-way relationship, where early emotional or behavioral problems can also increase exposure to later adversity.