Can social support alleviate inflammation associated with childhood adversities?

Abstract

Objective: Childhood adversities have been linked to elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), which has been associated with increased morbidity. Low social support has been reported to worsen the prognosis in heart disease and cancer, and high social support has been linked to lower hsCRP. We hypothesized that social support could be a mediating factor between childhood adversities and hsCRP. Methods: The sample was drawn from the data of the nationwide Health and Social Support Study (HeSSup Study) to which 25,898 Finns had responded in 1998. The cohort was stratified into groups of high and low social support, and the study group consisted of 100 women in both groups. Additionally, we invited a randomly drawn group of 50 subjects and a group of 62 women who had reported depressive symptoms. Of the 312 women, 116 participated in the study. Results: Social support score (Social Support Questionnaire, SSQ) was lower when the number of adverse experiences in childhood was high (r = − 0.251, P = 0.007). hsCRP and SSQ were inversely associated (r = − 0.188, P = 0.046). In the adjusted general linear model, the level of social support was significantly associated with hsCRP and there was a statistically significant interactive effect of small effect size of childhood adversities and the level of social support on hsCRP (ES = 0.123, P = 0.004). Conclusion: This finding suggests that childhood adversity may affect social relationships and that high social support may attenuate the health risks caused by childhood adverse experience.

• Childhood trauma
• CRP
• Early stress
• Low-grade inflammation
• Social integration

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Jalmari and Rauha Ahokas Foundation and the City of Turku.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Appendix 1. The AEC-questionnaire

Appendix: The AEC-questionnaire

When you were a child:

1) Were your parents divorced or separated?

2) Did your family have long-lasting financial difficulties?

3) Were there serious conflicts in your family?

4) Were you afraid of a family member?

5) Was anyone in your family chronically or seriously ill?

6) and 7) Was there an alcohol or drug abuser in the household?

8) Was anyone in your family mentally ill?

9) Were you emotionally abused, did a parent or other adult in the household often swear at you, insult you, put you down or humiliate you?

10) and 11) Were you physically abused? Did a parent or other adult in the household often push, grab, slap or throw something at you? Or hit you so hard that you had marks or were injured?

12) Was anyone in the household incarcerated or institutionalized?

13) and 14) Were you sexually abused? Did an adult ever touch or fondle you in a sexual way or have oral, anal or vaginal intercourse with you?

15) Was your mother emotionally abused?

16) and 17) Was your mother treated violently pushed grabbed, slapped or kicked or hit with a fist?