Are childhood and adult life adversities differentially associated with specific symptom dimensions of depression and anxiety? Testing the tripartite model
Abstract
Background Different types of adverse events may have general or specific effects on depression and anxiety symptomatology. We examined the effects of adversities on the dimensions of the tripartite model: general distress, anhedonic depression and anxious arousal. Methods Data were from 2615 individuals from the Netherlands Study for Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), with or without depressive or anxiety disorders. We analysed associations of childhood trauma, childhood life events (childhood trauma interview), and recent life events (List of Threatening Events Questionnaire, LTE-Q) with anhedonic depression, anxious arousal, and general distress (assessed by the adapted Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire, MASQ-D30). Results We controlled for co-occurrence of adversities. Regarding childhood trauma, only emotional neglect was associated with all three symptom dimensions. Psychological and sexual abuse were associated with general distress and anxious arousal, whereas physical abuse was associated only with anxious arousal. Particularly strong associations were seen for emotional neglect with anhedonic depression and for sexual abuse with anxious arousal. Childhood life events showed no associations with symptom dimensions. The recent life events 'Serious problems with friend', 'Serious financial problems', and 'Becoming unemployed' were associated with all three dimensions. The recent life event 'death of parent/child/sibling' was associated with anxious arousal. Several associations remained significant when controlled for current diagnosis of depression or anxiety. Limitations Our cross-sectional analyses do not allow for causal interpretation. Conclusions Distinct childhood traumas had different effects on the symptom dimensions, whereas most recent adult life events were associated with all three symptom dimensions. Our observations help to understand the often reported associations of these adversities with depressive and anxiety symptomatology. In addition, symptom dimensions of the tripartite model were shown to capture effects of adverse events on top of those captured by diagnostic categories.
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Most mental health disorders have their origins in childhood and adolescence.
“It is also now known that most mental health disorders have their origins in childhood and adolescence, which reinforces the importance of maintaining a healthy environment for child development [43].”
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- Authors
- van Veen, T., Wardenaar, K. J., Carlier, I. V. E., Spinhoven, P., Penninx, B. W. J. H., & Zitman, F. G.
- Affiliations
- University Medical Center Groningen (NL)
- Leiden University Medical Center (NL)
- Leiden University (NL)
- Venue
- Journal of Affective Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-04
- Volume
- 146
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 238-245
- ISSN
- 0165-0327 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2127308382
- Cited by
- 88
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 6.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Affective Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (publishedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (submittedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
- Rivierduinen
- GGZ Friesland
- GGZ Drenthe
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- childhood adversity, anhedonic depression, anxious arousal, general distress, childhood trauma, emotional neglect, psychological violence, sexual abuse, physical abuse, recent life events, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety, Arousal, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Psychological, Netherlands, Surveys and Questionnaires, Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, Anhedonia
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