The shadows of childhood: Study investigates the association between childhood trauma and diseases in adulthood

On the nationwide Mental Health Week

In a recent analysis of data from the German National Cohort (NAKO), researchers investigated the connection between childhood trauma and the probability of diagnosis of selected diseases. They were able to show that traumatic experiences in childhood were associated with a higher risk of physical and mental illnesses in adulthood. This risk of diseases was found to be particularly high in younger people.

The definition of ‘childhood trauma’ covers various types of abuse and neglect in childhood and adolescence. The level to which trauma is associated with diseases in adulthood can depend on various factors, such as age, gender and the type of trauma experienced.

Researchers under the lead of the University Medicine Greifswald have analysed these correlations based on the data of 156,807 adults participating in the German National Cohort (NAKO). They focussed on diseases with a high individual burden of disease and social relevance. These included cancer, heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), anxiety disorders and depression.

The traumas were documented using a standardised questionnaire in five categories: emotional, physical and sexual abuse as well as emotional and physical neglect. A third of the participants with childhood trauma reported multiple types of traumatisations, with the combination of emotional and physical trauma being the most frequently described. The researchers found that overall, childhood trauma was associated with a higher probability of developing both mental and physical diseases in adulthood. Mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders and depression were more common after the experience of childhood trauma than physical ones. All of these correlations were particularly high in younger adults, regardless of the type of childhood trauma. ‘The results could indicate that childhood trauma is more strongly associated with a diagnosis the nearer the start of the disease is to the the date of traumatisation. For example, the age of diagnosis for depression is usually in early adulthood,’ says Dr. Johanna Klinger-König, a researcher at the University Medical Centre Greifswald.

Differences between the sexes were only observed for individual diseases. In terms of diseases as adults, women reported cancer, anxiety and depression diagnoses more frequently. Men reported diagnoses of heart attack and diabetes more often.

‘Childhood traumas are individual events over which the victim has little or no control. The diseases that can occur in adulthood in connection with childhood trauma are a heavy burden for those affected and for society. It is therefore important to recognise childhood trauma at an early stage and offer targeted therapies and preventative measures,’ says Professor Dr. Hans Jörgen Grabe, Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Greifswald University Hospital.

Future research projects are to be extended to other mental illnesses and diseases in the psychiatric field. In particular, the scientists would like to investigate the factors that influence the links between trauma and secondary diseases.

The international day of action ‘World Mental Health Day’ has been held on 10 October since 1992. It was initiated by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH). Since 2010, the ‘Aktionsbündnis Seelische Gesundheit’ (Mental Health Action Alliance) has been calling for the ‘Nationwide Mental Health Week’ throughout Germany around 10 October. The aim of the campaign days is to create understanding for the situation of people with a mental illnesses and to raise awareness of the consequences. The aim is also to reduce fear of contact and actively involve those affected and their relatives.

More information

Originalpublication
Klinger-König J, Erhardt A, Streit F, et al. Childhood trauma and somatic and mental illness in adulthood—findings of the NAKO health study. Deutsches Ärzteblatt international. 2024. http://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.m2023.0225

Contact
Dr. Johanna Klinger-König
Universitätsmedizin Greifswald
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie
Ellernholzstraße 1-2
17475 Greifswald
Germany
johanna.klinger-koenig@med.uni-greifswald.de

Press contact:

Dr. Friederike Fellenberg
NAKO Gesundheitsstudie
Head of Project and Science Communication
Am Taubenfeld 21/2
69123 Heidelberg
Germany
Phone.: +49 6221 42620-62
E-mail: friederike.fellenberg@nako.de

German National Cohort (NAKO)

The German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie) is the largest long-term population study in Germany. Since 2014, over 205,000 randomly selected people have been medically examined and asked about their lifestyle habits in 18 study centres. At the beginning of the study, the participants were aged between 20 and 69.

The German National Cohort (NAKO) is a prospective epidemiological cohort study. The researchers observe a large group, a so-called cohort, of healthy, ill or formerly ill people over a long period of time. The aim is to use scientific analyses of the participants’ data to investigate the frequency and causes of common diseases such as cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, to identify risk factors and to show ways of effective prevention and early detection.

The research project is supported by 26 organisations. Scientists from universities, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association and other research institutes in Germany are working together in a nationwide network. The study is being carried out by the NAKO e.V. association. It is financed by public funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Helmholtz Association and the participating federal states.