The complex neurobiology of resilient functioning after child maltreatment

Abstract

Childhood Maltreatment (CM) has been associated with significant impairment of social, emotional and behavioural functioning in later life. Nevertheless, some individuals who have experienced CM seem to function better than expected. Here, we provide an integrated understanding of the complex interrelated mechanisms that facilitate such resilient functioning after CM. We show that resilient functioning after CM may be characterized by improved reward, emotion, and stress processing in MPFC and Limbic regions, lower cortisol and inflammatory responses, poly-genetic influences, and supportive environments. As these factors are inextricably intertwined, future resilience studies should investigate multiple levels of biological organization and their temporal dynamics. We further provide a method for such studies to appropriately quantify resilient functioning as functioning across multiple domains conditional on the severity of CM experiences. We hope that our perspective fuels further research in the complex neurobiological mechanisms that facilitate resilient functioning after CM.