Early adversity and depressive symptoms among early adolescent girls: the mediating role of exposure to recent interpersonal acute stress

Abstract

Early adversity confers risk for depression in part through its association with recent (i.e., proximal) acute stress. However, it remains unresolved whether: a) early adversity predicts increases in recent acute stress over time; b) all – or only certain types – of recent events mediate the relationship between early adversity and depression; and c) early adversity places individuals at greater risk for depression via greater exposure to independent (i.e., fateful) interpersonal events or via greater generation of dependent (i.e., partially self-initiated) interpersonal events (i.e., stress generation) or both. These questions were examined in a 3-wave longitudinal study of early adolescent girls (N = 125; M = 12.35 years [SD = .77]) with no history of diagnosable depression using contextual life stress and diagnostic interviews. Path analyses indicated that increases in past-year acute interpersonal, but not non-interpersonal, stress mediated the link between early adversity and depressive symptoms. The mediating role of interpersonal events was limited to independent ones, suggesting increases in interpersonal event exposure, not interpersonal stress generation, acted as a mediator. Finally, findings support prior evidence that early adversity may not directly predict future depressive symptoms. Implications for understanding the role of recent stress in the association between early adversity and adolescent depression are discussed.

Interpersonal stress mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms: Findings from two culturally different samples

“…These interpersonal problems may in turn lead to more mental health problems, including depressive symptoms (Cheek et al, 2020;He et al, 2019). In the only study focusing on the mediating role of interpersonal stress in the relationship between early adversities and depressive symptoms, Stroud et al (2021) found that early adversity may not be directly related to subsequent depressive symptoms, but past-year acute interpersonal stress was a significant mediator. Similarly, we found that childhood trauma was associated with interpersonal stress and that interpersonal stress also mediated the relationship between childhood betrayal trauma and depressive symptoms.…”

Unique and interactive effects of threat and deprivation on latent trait cortisol among emerging adults

“…Third, future research should evaluate whether exposure to recent stress affects the relationship between the dimensions of early adversity and LTC. Importantly, research supporting stress continuity suggests that individuals who face early adversity experience higher levels of stress across development (in comparison to those who do not experience early adversity; e.g., Korkeila et al., 2010), particularly interpersonal and independent forms of acute stress (Stroud et al., 2021). The accumulation of such forms of acute stress has also evinced links with LTC, over and above the effect of early adversity (Stroud et al., 2016b).…”