Early Life Adversity and Childhood Maltreatment

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.

How you judge stress may depend on your past. A new study shows that recent depression makes stressors seem worse, but a difficult childhood may build resilience, making them seem less severe.

New research published in Psychological Reports has identified a key connection between childhood experiences and adult perseverance. The study found that a person's ability to manage emotions entirely accounts for the association between their upbringing and their grit.

Research in Biological Psychiatry indicates that people who experienced childhood trauma carry unique metabolic patterns into adulthood. These blood-based chemical changes may help explain why early-life adversity increases vulnerability to both physical and mental illnesses later in life.

Children who feel unsafe at home, in school, or in their neighborhood show differences in brain connectivity. A new neuroimaging study published in Psychological Medicine suggests these differences could help explain later mental health symptoms during adolescence.

A massive new study of nearly 73,000 first-year university students across 18 countries has uncovered alarming rates of suicidal ideation. The research also identified childhood adversity and specific mental health disorders as the primary drivers of this heightened risk.