Childhood maltreatment predicts poorer executive functioning in adulthood beyond symptoms of internalizing psychopathology

Abstract

Background: A history of childhood maltreatment predicts poorer functioning in several domains during childhood, including executive function (EF). While there is also evidence of poorer EF in adults with a history of childhood trauma, results are mixed. Notable limitations of previous research are (a) the use of single indicators of EF, and/or (b) not consistently assessing whether childhood maltreatment predicts poorer EF beyond internalizing psychopathology.

Objective: We sought to overcome limitations of prior work by examining relationships between childhood maltreatment and EF in adulthood by using a latent factor of EF derived from multiple indicators and including psychopathology covariates in our analyses.

Participants and setting: The present study included a large sample of community adults (n = 489) who were oversampled for internalizing psychopathology symptoms.

Methods: Primary analyses examined whether childhood maltreatment (cumulative and subtypes) predicted EF using a latent factor approach and linear mixed effects models. Follow-up analyses assessed the impact of childhood maltreatment on EF beyond internalizing psychopathology symptoms and assessed whether gender moderated relationships between EF and childhood maltreatment.

Results: Greater cumulative maltreatment predicted poorer EF (B = -0.15), and emotional neglect emerged as a unique predictor of EF (B = -0.18). These results remained after controlling for psychopathology symptoms. Gender moderated the relationship between physical abuse and EF, with physical abuse predicting poorer EF among males (B = 0.30), but not females (B = -0.04).

Conclusions: Overall, results indicate that general EF deficits are related to a history of childhood maltreatment, which is not accounted for by internalizing psychopathology symptoms. Potential implications and future directions are discussed.

Keywords: Adult cognitive functioning; Adulthood; Childhood maltreatment; Emotional neglect; Executive functioning.

Figure 1.

Latent Factor Model of Executive Function (EF)

Figure 2.

Depiction of the Childhood Physical Abuse x Gender Interaction Predicting Executive Function