Cognitive factors as mediators of the relationship between childhood trauma and depression symptoms: the mediating roles of cognitive overgeneralisation, rumination, and social problem-solving

ABSTRACT

Background: Childhood trauma has negative immediate and long-term impacts on depression. Questions remain, however, regarding the cognitive factors influencing this relationship. This study aimed to investigate the role of three cognitive factors – cognitive overgeneralisation, rumination and social problem-solving – as mediating factors in the relationship between childhood trauma and symptoms of depression.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Iran from March to July 2023. Participants (N = 227; Mean age 32.44 ± 8.95 years) with depression completed measures of childhood trauma, depression, self-overgeneralisation, cognitive errors, memory specificity, rumination and social problem-solving. The conceptual model was assessed using structural equation modelling.

Results: Structural equation modelling indicated that childhood trauma had a positive direct effect on depression symptoms. Childhood trauma had a positive indirect effect on depression symptoms through both self-overgeneralisation and rumination and a negative indirect effect on depression through effective social problem-solving strategies.

Conclusions: The findings suggest increased exposure to childhood trauma may be associated with elevated depression and self-overgeneralisation, rumination, and effective social problem-solving strategies may play an important role in this relationship. These findings hold potential implications for those working with patients with depression and a history of childhood trauma.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Since the relationship between childhood trauma and depression is not straightforward, the study addresses a significant gap in the understanding of the relationship between childhood trauma and depression symptoms by focusing on cognitive factors as potential mediators among depressed patients.

• Childhood trauma not only has a direct positive effect on depression symptoms but also indirectly influences depression through self-overgeneralisation and rumination, which contribute to elevated depression, while effective social problem-solving strategies act as a protective factor, leading to decreased depression symptoms.

• The significance of above cognitive overgeneralisation factors in shaping the relationship between childhood trauma and depression symptoms suggests that therapeutic interventions targeting these cognitive factors might be hold promise in improving mental health outcomes for this vulnerable population.

Antecedentes: El trauma infantil tiene impactos negativos inmediatos y a largo plazo en la depresión. Sin embargo, quedan interrogantes sobre los factores cognitivos que influyen en esta relación. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar el papel de tres factores cognitivos (sobregeneralización cognitiva, rumiación y resolución de problemas sociales) como factores mediadores en la relación entre el trauma infantil y los síntomas de depresión.

Métodos: Realizamos un estudio transversal en Irán de marzo a julio de 2023. Los participantes con depresión (N = 227; edad media 32,44 ± 8,95 años) completaron medidas de trauma infantil, depresión, auto-sobregeneralización, errores cognitivos y especificidad de la memoria, rumiación y resolución de problemas sociales. El modelo conceptual se evaluó mediante modelos de ecuaciones estructurales.

Resultados: El modelo de ecuaciones estructurales indicó que el trauma infantil tuvo un efecto directo positivo sobre los síntomas de depresión. El trauma infantil tuvo un efecto indirecto positivo sobre los síntomas de depresión a través de la sobregeneralización y la rumiación y un efecto indirecto negativo sobre la depresión a través de estrategias efectivas de resolución de problemas sociales.

Conclusiones: Los hallazgos sugieren que una mayor exposición al trauma infantil puede estar asociada con una depresión elevada y la sobregeneralización, la rumiación y las estrategias efectivas de resolución de problemas sociales pueden desempeñar un papel importante en esta relación. Estos hallazgos tienen implicancias potenciales para quienes trabajan con pacientes con depresión y antecedentes de trauma infantil.

KEYWORDS:

• Childhood traumatic experiences
• childhood maltreatment
• major depressive disorder
• self-overgeneralisation
• overgeneralisation across situations
• overgeneral autobiographical memory
• rumination
• problem-solving

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Experiencias traumáticas infantiles
• maltrato infantil
• trastorno depresivo mayor
• auto-sobregeneralización
• sobregeneralización entre situaciones
• memoria autobiográfica excesiva
• rumiación
• resolución de problemas

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.