Differential effects of childhood maltreatment types and timing on psychopathology in formerly out-of-home placed young adults

Abstract

Background Childhood maltreatment (CM) increases the risk for psychopathology and CM type, severity and timing are considered important modulating factors in this relationship. However, reported associations are heterogeneous and hardly considered vulnerable groups broadly exposed to CM. Methods We investigated the association between CM types and timing and psychopathology in formerly out-of-home placed young adults (N = 185; 32% women, age mean = 26.38 years, SD = 3.49). CM was assessed using the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology of Exposure Scale. Conditional random forest regression was used to estimate the importance of CM types (abuse, neglect, peer victimization, and sexual abuse), timing (ages 3–18), and global measures (severity, multiplicity, and duration) on adult general, internalizing, and externalizing problems (Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment). We validated the results using diagnoses of mental disorders clustered with the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology model. Results Global CM measures were stronger predictors of internalizing problems than CM type and timing. Abuse in early childhood was a stronger predictor of externalizing problems compared to global CM measures. Conclusions Considering CM type and timing might be valuable to guide maltreatment-informed interventions in therapeutic settings.