Social Functioning in Individuals Affected by Childhood Maltreatment: Establishing a Research Agenda to Inform Interventions.
Journal: Psychotherapy and psychosomatics
Volume: 91
Issue: 4
Year of Publication: 2022
Affiliated Institutions:
Department of Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden.
Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom.
School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Bar-Ilan, Israel.
Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Faculty of Psychology, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom.
Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Interpsy EA, University of Lorraine, Lorraine, France.
Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia islamia, New Delhi, India.
School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Monash, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Saarland University, Saarland, Germany.
Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Kurume University, Kurume, Japan.
Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience and Public Health, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Department of Psychiatry, Koç University School of Medicine, Koç, Turkey.
Schizophrenia Research Foundation, Chennai, India.
Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
DSI/NRF South African Research Chairs Initiative in PTSD, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
CIBERSAM: Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Department of Psychology, Medical School Hamburg (MSH), Hamburg, Germany.
Abstract summary
Childhood maltreatment (CM) is linked to impairments in various domains of social functioning. Here, we argue that it is critical to identify factors that underlie impaired social functioning as well as processes that mediate the beneficial health effects of positive relationships in individuals exposed to CM. Key research recommendations are presented, focusing on: (1) identifying attachment-related alterations in specific inter- and intrapersonal processes (e.g., regulation of closeness and distance) that underlie problems in broader domains of social functioning (e.g., lack of perceived social support) in individuals affected by CM; (2) identifying internal (e.g., current emotional state) and external situational factors (e.g., cultural factors, presence of close others) that modulate alterations in specific social processes; and (3) identifying mechanisms that explain the positive health effects of intact social functioning. Methodological recommendations include: (1) assessing social processes through interactive and (close to) real-life assessments inside and outside the laboratory; (2) adopting an interdisciplinary, lifespan perspective to assess social processes, using multi-method assessments; (3) establishing global research collaborations to account for cultural influences on social processes and enable replications across laboratories and countries. The proposed line of research will contribute to globally develop and refine interventions that prevent CM and further positive relationships, which - likely through buffering the effects of chronic stress and corresponding allostatic load - foster resilience and improve mental and physical health, thereby reducing personal suffering and the societal and economic costs of CM and its consequences. Interventions targeting euthymia and psychological well-being are promising therapeutic concepts in this context.
Authors & Co-authors:
Pfaltz Monique C MC
Halligan Sarah L SL
Haim-Nachum Shilat S
Sopp Marie R MR
Åhs Fredrik F
Bachem Rahel R
Bartoli Eleonora E
Belete Habte H
Belete Tilahun T
Berzengi Azi A
Dukes Daniel D
Essadek Aziz A
Iqbal Naved N
Jobson Laura L
Langevin Rachel R
Levy-Gigi Einat E
Lüönd Antonia M AM
Martin-Soelch Chantal C
Michael Tanja T
Oe Misari M
Olff Miranda M
Ceylan Deniz D
Raghavan Vijaya V
Ramakrishnan Muniarajan M
Sar Vedat V
Spies Georgina G
Wadji Dany Laure DL
Wamser-Nanney Rachel R
Fares-Otero Natalia E NE
Schnyder Ulrich U
Seedat Soraya S
Study Outcome
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