Men and women are affected very differently by childhood trauma. This is the conclusion of an international study led by Maastricht University (UM). But how does that manifest itself and have similarities been found?
Mental health problems in adults are nothing new. Many people have to deal with it, both privately and at work. A survey by Indeed recently showed that one fifth of Dutch employees suffer from mental health problems.
childhood trauma
The researchers will present the findings on Sunday during the European Congress of Psychiatry in the French capital Paris. An international team of researchers from the Netherlands, Turkey, Italy, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the United States analyzed data from 791 volunteers regarding childhood trauma. Those volunteers were also tested for current psychological problems, such as phobias, fears or depression. This allowed the researchers to associate the type of childhood trauma with the symptoms presented by the same individuals as adults.
European Congress of Psychiatry: new study shows that men and women are affected differently by childhood trauma:
— European Psychiatric Association (@Euro_Psychiatry) March 26, 2023
Look for the differences
Ultimately, it turned out that both men and women experience serious psychological consequences of emotional abuse in childhood, but that this association is about twice as strong in women as in men.
In contrast, neglect in childhood, physical and emotional, could be linked by the researchers to later mental health problems in men, but not in women.
According to the university, childhood trauma as a risk factor for many psychiatric disorders has been known for some time, but not with such gender-specific characteristics. “Identification of gender-specific aspects in the impact of trauma on mental problems in later life can be very valuable for research into mechanisms of resilience and vulnerability,” says Bart Rutten, co-researcher and professor of psychiatry at UM. “In the long term, this will certainly be important for a more patient-oriented use of treatments.”
Sick leave
The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) recently reported that absenteeism in our country has risen again. This would largely be due to people with psychological and stress-related complaints such as overwork and depression.
Marjolein (29) works in healthcare and feels too much work pressure: ‘This way I won’t make it to retirement’
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Childhood trauma affects men and women differently: here are the differences