Impact of childhood maltreatment on psychosomatic outcomes among men and women with disabilities

Abstract

Purpose

This project examined the impact of childhood maltreatment types on psychosomatic outcomes among adults with a range of self-reported disabilities.

Materials and methods

Participants (n = 643) were recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk and Cloud Research. Single-item questions assessed sociodemographic information. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire measured childhood maltreatment types (emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and emotional and physical neglect) and the RAND-36 Item Health Survey evaluated physical functioning, pain, and energy/fatigue. Logistic regressions determined associations between childhood trauma and psychosomatic outcomes; stratified models compared men and women.

Results

Multivariate-adjusted models indicated physical abuse was positively associated with poor physical functioning (OR: 2.03; 95%CI: 1.35–3.06) with this relationship being stronger for men (OR: 3.25; 95%CI: 1.42–7.43) than women (OR: 1.91; 95%CI: 1.17–3.13). Adjusted models showed that physical neglect was protective against fatigue (OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.36–0.94), while emotional neglect increased the risk of fatigue (OR: 1.74; 95%CI: 1.02–2.95). Lastly, physical abuse was positively associated with pain (OR: 1.53; 95%CI: 1.01–2.33). This relationship was stronger in men (OR: 4.99; 95%CI: 1.91–12.99).

Conclusions

Results improve our understanding of risk factors for poor physical health outcomes and can guide the development of trauma-sensitive rehabilitation services.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Individuals with disabilities who report childhood maltreatment may experience poor psychosomatic outcomes in adulthood.

• Consequences of experiencing childhood maltreatment may manifest differently between men and women over the course of the lifespan.

• It is essential to integrate trauma-informed principles into treatment plans for individuals with poor psychosomatic health.

• Rehabilitation professionals should screen for abuse and refer individuals to the appropriate mental and physical health services.

Keywords:

• Rehabilitation
• health
• trauma
• trauma-informed
• health outcomes
• psychosomatic

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

The ideas, opinions, and conclusions expressed are those of the authors, and do not represent recommendations, endorsements, or policies of the US Department of Education.

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

Additional information

Funding

This paper was developed with support from the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Targeted Communities (VRTAC-TC or Project E3) at the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA funded by the US Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (Grant number H264F15003).