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Stressful Life Events and Depression Symptoms: The Effect of Childhood Emotional Abuse on Stress Reactivity
Author(s) -
Shapero Benjamin G.,
Black Shimrit K.,
Liu Richard T.,
Klugman Joshua,
Bender Rachel E.,
Abramson Lyn Y.,
Alloy Lauren B.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.22011
Subject(s) - stressor , psychology , psychological abuse , depression (economics) , sexual abuse , reactivity (psychology) , clinical psychology , depressive symptoms , child abuse , physical abuse , poison control , injury prevention , psychiatry , developmental psychology , anxiety , medicine , medical emergency , alternative medicine , pathology , economics , macroeconomics
Objective Stressful life events are associated with an increase in depressive symptoms and the onset of major depression. Importantly, research has shown that the role of stress changes over the course of depression. The present study extends the current literature by examining the effects of early life stress on emotional reactivity to current stressors. Method In a multiwave study (N = 281, mean age = 18.76; 68% female), we investigated the proximal changes that occur in depressive symptoms when individuals are faced with life stress and whether a history of childhood emotional abuse moderates this relationship. Results Results support the stress sensitivity hypothesis for early emotional abuse history. Individuals with greater childhood emotional abuse severity experienced greater increases in depressive symptoms when confronted with current dependent stressors, controlling for childhood physical and sexual abuse. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of emotional abuse as an indicator for reactivity to stressful life events.