Early Life Adversity and Childhood Maltreatment

A new study finds that while severe childhood trauma often leads to early alcoholism, specific genetic variants are more closely linked to the disorder developing later in life.

A new study reveals that while childhood trauma leads youth into the justice system, it does not predict violent misconduct during incarceration. Instead, mental health history and gang affiliation are stronger indicators of behavior behind bars.

Most people think memory is like a video recording, but new research suggests otherwise. A study shows that young adults remember their childhoods differently depending on how well they get along with their parents right now.

Hardships faced in childhood may leave a chemical signature on our DNA decades later. A new study finds that specific early-life struggles are linked to a higher biological age in older women.

Survivors of childhood trauma face higher risks of persistent pain after events like car crashes. New findings in Pain show that early adversity creates a physiological vulnerability to unremitting physical discomfort.

A new study suggests that verbal mistreatment drives malignant self-regard more than other forms of trauma. Researchers found that internalized shame is most closely linked to emotional abuse, with distinct patterns emerging for men.

A new study suggests that people from harsh childhoods invest more energy in seeking new partners. This "mating effort" is linked to lower satisfaction and higher conflict in adult relationships, independent of attachment style.

New imaging research reveals that early neglect causes widespread hyperactivity in the adult brain. The findings suggest childhood trauma fundamentally reorganizes how neural networks process and recover from threats.

A study of college students indicates that treating oneself with kindness may buffer the impact of adverse childhood experiences on attention and impulse control, potentially offering a new pathway for intervention.

A study in Behaviour Research and Therapy finds that childhood maltreatment leads to rigid expectations when interacting with strangers.

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.