Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Mental Health

New psychology research shows early life stress doesn’t have to be extreme to affect emotional processing

by Eric W. Dolan
October 26, 2019
in Mental Health
(Photo credit: Sarah Horrigan)

(Photo credit: Sarah Horrigan)

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay on top of the latest psychology findings: Subscribe now!

New research provides evidence that experiences of early life stress are associated with atypical responses towards emotional facial expressions in adulthood. The findings have been published in the journal Development and Psychopathology.

“One of the things that drives me as a researcher is how we can improve the experiences of people with mental illness, by developing better treatments and clearer knowledge of these health conditions,” explained Elizabeth Kirkham (@EK_Neuro), a research associate at the University of Edinburgh and the corresponding author of the study.

“Early life stress and trauma are a huge factor in the development of mental illness later in life – I think society in general is still not aware of how close the relationship between early stress and later health (mental and physical) really is. If we can understand more about early life stress then we can understand more about how mental illness develops, which in turn will help us find better ways of reducing the suffering of people living with mental health conditions.”

In the study, 395 participants completed the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale after being shown photographs depicting angry, happy, and neutral facial expressions. The participants indicated the extent to which they would approach the person in the image and the extent to which they would avoid the person.

The researchers found that participants who experienced more stressful life events in childhood and adolescence tended to be less avoidant of people with angry facial expressions.

“Our results were surprising — that early life stress is associated with reduced, not increased, avoidance of anger in people with no signs of mental ill health. This is the opposite of what we expected,” Kirkham told PsyPost.

But Kirkham said the findings indicate that early life stress “doesn’t have to be extreme to affect emotional processing. Very few of the people in our study had histories of extreme trauma or neglect, yet the stress that they did experience as children was linked to both their mental health and their responses to emotional information as adults.”

“This is important when we think about our social environment — investing in the quality of children’s early life is likely to pay dividends later on in terms of the health of the wider society.”

The relationship between early life stress and reduced avoidance of angry facial expressions was not found among participants who showed signs of depression and anxiety. More depressed participants, however, did tend to be more avoidant of happy facial expressions.

“We were also surprised that that was no relationship between early life stress and avoidance of anger amongst people with evidence of mental illness, even though the expected relationship between depression and avoidance of happy facial expressions was present,” Kirkham said.

“Therefore it’s important that additional work is carried out to examine what is going on here and why the effects of early life stress are different from what might have been predicted from previous research. I suspect it might be connected to the fact that previous research has focused on children with extreme early life stress, whereas we focused on adults with relatively low levels of early life stress.”

“I’d be very happy to hear from researchers or students who share my interest in early life stress and its effects on the adult brain. There’s still a lot to be discovered within this field,” Kirkham added.

The study, “Early life stress is associated with reduced avoidance of threatening facial expressions“, was authored by Elizabeth J. Kirkham and Liat Levita.

TweetSendScanShareSendPin13ShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

Feminine advantage in harm perception obscures male victimization
Depression

People with depression face significantly greater social and health-related challenges

July 5, 2025

New findings reveal that depression is linked to both greater social hardship and increased frailty. People with depression were significantly more likely to report unmet basic needs and physical vulnerability, suggesting a complex relationship between social conditions and mental health.

Read moreDetails
Stress disrupts gut and brain barriers by reducing key microbial metabolites, study finds
Mental Health

Stress disrupts gut and brain barriers by reducing key microbial metabolites, study finds

July 5, 2025

Researchers have shown that acute stress can disrupt gut microbial activity, lowering protective fatty acids that maintain intestinal and brain barrier integrity. The findings offer new insight into how short-term stress affects the body’s gut-brain communication system.

Read moreDetails
These common sounds can impair your learning, according to new psychology research
Meditation

A simple breathing exercise enhances emotional control, new research suggests

July 4, 2025

Feeling overwhelmed? New research suggests just three minutes of slow-paced breathing can significantly improve your ability to manage negative emotions.

Read moreDetails
Intelligence, socioeconomic status, and gender impact ADHD diagnosis timing
ADHD

Girls are better than boys at detecting their own ADHD symptoms

July 4, 2025

A new study finds that teenage girls with ADHD may have better insight into their symptoms than boys. Researchers in Sweden discovered that girls’ self-ratings closely matched parent and clinician assessments, while boys tended to underreport their symptoms.

Read moreDetails
From fireflies to brain cells: Unraveling the complex web of synchrony in networks
Addiction

Understanding “neuronal ensembles” could revolutionize addiction treatment

July 3, 2025

The same brain system that rewards you for a delicious meal is hijacked by drugs like fentanyl. A behavioral neuroscientist explains how understanding the specific memories behind these rewards is the key to treating addiction without harming our essential survival instincts.

Read moreDetails
Shared genetic factors uncovered between ADHD and cannabis addiction
Developmental Psychology

Genetic factors may influence how well exercise buffers against childhood trauma

July 3, 2025

A new study suggests exercise can reduce the psychological toll of childhood adversity, but its benefits are not universal. Researchers found that a person’s genetic makeup, specifically a variant in the BDNF gene, can influence how effectively physical activity buffers against trauma.

Read moreDetails
How having conversations with children shapes their language and brain connectivity
Mental Health

Tips for parents in talking with your kids about your partner’s mental illness

July 3, 2025

A new CDC study reveals a stark reality: over one in four teens live with a parent struggling with mental illness. These kids are often invisible and confused. Here are seven expert tips for talking to your children with honesty and hope.

Read moreDetails
Underweight individuals are at an increased risk of suicide, study finds
Depression

Subjective cognitive struggles strongly linked to social recovery in depression

July 3, 2025

In people with major depression, subjective feelings of cognitive dysfunction—rather than performance on cognitive tests—strongly predicted emotional symptoms and social functioning. The findings suggest that what patients think about their own thinking may be key to long-term recovery.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Scientists are uncovering more and more unsettling facts about our politics

People with depression face significantly greater social and health-related challenges

Stress disrupts gut and brain barriers by reducing key microbial metabolites, study finds

New research reveals hidden biases in AI’s moral advice

7 subtle signs you are being love bombed—and how to slow things down before you get hurt

A simple breathing exercise enhances emotional control, new research suggests

Despite political tensions, belief in an impending U.S. civil war remains low

Girls are better than boys at detecting their own ADHD symptoms

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy