Childhood adversity and later life prosocial behavior: A qualitative comparative study of Irish older adult survivors

Objective Although childhood adversity can have lasting effects into later life, positive adaptations have also been observed, including an increased tendency toward prosocial behavior. However, little is known about the link between childhood adversity and later life prosocial behavior, with a particular scarcity of research on intrafamilial childhood adversity. Therefore, this study aimed to examine older adult's experiences of childhood adversity and identify mechanisms linked to prosocial behavior. Two adversity contexts (intrafamilial and extrafamilial) were compared to explore individual, as well as broader cultural and contextual mechanisms linking childhood adversity and later life prosocial behavior. Method Semi-structured interviews (60–120 min) were conducted with N = 29 Irish (older) adult survivors of childhood adversity: n = 12 intrafamilial survivors (mean age: 58 years, range: 51–72), n = 17 institutional survivors (mean age: 61 years, range: 50–77). Interviews were analyzed using the framework analysis method, with reference to the conceptual model of altruism born of suffering. Results Five themes were identified on prosocial mechanisms, with three themes in both survivor groups (enhanced empathy, self-identity, amelioration), and two group-specific themes (compassion fatigue in intrafamilial survivors; denouncing detrimental social values in institutional survivors). Conclusion Results identified motivational processes and volitional factors linked to later life prosocial behavior. Connections to caring roles, (lack of) support, and social norms in childhood, as well as the need for a sense of purpose and meaning from the adversities in adulthood, highlight potential targets for psychotherapeutic intervention to promote prosocial responding and positive adaptation for childhood adversity survivors

A socio-interpersonal perspective on the disclosure of childhood adversity: A qualitative comparative approach in Irish survivors

Childhood adversity (i.e., sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, and physical or emotional neglect) is a widespread, but often underreported, issue. While disclosure can be important for recovery, findings are inconsistent and often lack consideration of wider social and interpersonal contexts. This study aimed to examine disclosure in survivors of childhood adversity by applying a socio-interpersonal perspective. It further aimed to explore cultural and contextual influences on disclosure by assessing survivors from two distinct adversity contexts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Irish survivors from an intrafamilial adversity context (mean age: 57.4 years, 11 females) and 17 Irish survivors from an institutional adversity context (mean age: 60.7 years, 10 females). Data was analyzed using framework analysis and the application of the socio-interpersonal model. Findings indicate unsuccessful and non-disclosure in childhood, with increased disclosure in adulthood. Themes identified shared disclosure-related factors (e.g., shame, inaction, lack of infrastructural and social support, societal acknowledgement); as well as context-specific findings (e.g., engrained family secret in the intrafamilial sample, power and influence of the church in the institutional sample). Results emphasize the necessity of considering not only the child-perpetrator relationship, but also the complex social, cultural, and interpersonal contexts within which the individual is embedded

Predictors and (in-)stability of ICD-11 complex posttraumatic stress disorder in older adults: findings from a longitudinal study in Switzerland

ABSTRACTObjective: There is a lack of research on complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in older individuals, with little known about the temporal course of CPTSD. Therefore, this study assessed and compared the demographic characteristics, adverse childhood experiences (ACE), and well-being of Swiss older adults with and without probable CPTSD. The (in-)stability of probable CPTSD was also examined in relation to the predictive value of various emotion-related factors.Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted in Switzerland with N = 213 participants (Mage = 69.98 years, SD = 10.61; 45.5% female). Data was collected via face-to-face assessments at baseline and follow-up, 21 months apart. The German version of the International Trauma Questionnaire was used to screen for (C)PTSD. Standardized instruments were used to assess ACE as well as the predictors anger, embitterment, emotion regulation, and meaning in life.Results: From the total sample, n = 16 participants (7.5%) were identified as having probable CPTSD, with only five of these (31.25%) having probable CPTSD at both baseline and follow-up. Individuals with and without probable CPTSD differed significantly regarding age and employment status. Significant predictors of probable CPTSD were anger (β = 0.16), embitterment (β = 0.06), cognitive reappraisal (β = −0.41), and the presence of meaning in life (β = −0.10).Conclusions: Probable CPTSD appears to be relatively unstable over the course of a 21-month period in older individuals. The links between CPTSD and emotion-related predictors highlight potential targets for intervention