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Childhood Trauma and Somatization: Identifying Mechanisms for Targeted Intervention

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Abstract

Childhood trauma is associated with a variety of adverse physical and mental health problems, including somatization. The exploration of the mechanisms through which this association may exist is important for developing targeted interventions to improve physical and psychological outcomes. The current studies examined the mediating roles of (1) mindfulness and (2) experiential avoidance in the association between childhood trauma and somatization. The associations of interest were examined both in a group of at-risk adolescents, as well as in a community sample of adults. A total of 51 at-risk adolescents and 287 community adults completed self-report measures of childhood trauma, mindfulness, experiential avoidance, and somatization. Bootstrapped indirect effect analyses indicated that mindfulness and experiential avoidance significantly mediated the association between childhood trauma and somatization in adolescents. Additionally, both experiential avoidance and nonjudgment of inner experience significantly mediated the association between childhood trauma and somatization in adults. Overall, mindfulness and experiential avoidance appear to be mechanisms through which the association between childhood trauma and somatization may exist. The results of the current studies highlight the need for future research examining preventive interventions, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), that target processes like mindfulness and experiential avoidance in order to improve outcomes for trauma-exposed individuals.

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Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, PhD, and James Marchman, PhD, for their assistance in the development of Study 1.

Funding

Study 1 was funded by a grant awarded to Emily Kroska from the University of Iowa’s Graduate and Professional Student Government. Study 2 was funded through departmental funding obtained by Michael O’Hara, PhD. Study 2 was also supported in part by the National Institute of Health T32 pre-doctoral training grant: T32GM108540.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, W311 Seashore Hall, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Emily B. Kroska, Anne I. Roche & Michael W. O’Hara

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  1. Emily B. Kroska
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  2. Anne I. Roche
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  3. Michael W. O’Hara
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Contributions

EK: designed and executed Study 1, designed Study 2, data analyses, wrote “Method” and “Results” sections, and revised “Introduction” and “Discussion” sections. AR: executed Study 2, wrote “Introduction” and “Discussion” sections, and revised “Method” and “Results” sections. MO: collaborated with design and writing of both studies, writing and editing of final manuscript.

Emily B. Kroska and Anne I. Roche joint first-authorship.

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Correspondence to Emily B. Kroska.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were approved by the University of Iowa’s Institutional Review Board and are in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

In Study 1, all participants 18 years of age and older provided informed consent. Minors provided informed assent, while their parents provided informed consent on their behalf. In Study 2, all participants provided informed consent.

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Kroska, E.B., Roche, A.I. & O’Hara, M.W. Childhood Trauma and Somatization: Identifying Mechanisms for Targeted Intervention. Mindfulness 9, 1845–1856 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0927-y

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