Specific Associations Between Type of Childhood Abuse and Elevated C-Reactive Protein in Young Adult Psychiatric Rehabilitation Participants

ABSTRACT Background Early life adversity such as childhood emotional, physical, and sexual trauma is associated with a plethora of later-life psychiatric and chronic medical conditions, including elevated inflammatory markers. Although previous research suggests a role for chronic inflammatory dysfunctions in several disease etiologies, specific associations between childhood trauma types and later life inflammation and health status are not well understood. Methods We studied patients (n=280) who were admitted to a psychiatric rehabilitation center. Self-reported histories of childhood emotional, physical, and sexual trauma history were collected. At the time of admission, we also assessed individuals’ body mass index (BMI) and collected blood samples that were used to examine levels of inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP). Results The prevalence of all three types of abuse were quite high, at 21% or more. 50% of the sample had elevations in CRP, with clinically significant elevations in 26%. We found that compared to a history of emotional or physical abuse, a history of childhood sexual trauma was more specifically associated with elevated CRP. This result held up when controlling for BMI. Limitation Our sample is relatively young, with an average age of 27.2 years, with minimal representation of ethnic and racial minority participants. Conclusion Relative to childhood emotional and physical trauma, childhood sexual trauma may lead to elevated inflammatory responses, which were common overall in the sample. Future studies need to assess the causal link between childhood sexual trauma and poorer health outcomes later in life. HIGHLIGHTS - The prevalence of both childhood abuse experiences and elevations in inflammatory markers were quite high. - We found that the history and severity of childhood sexual abuse were differentially correlated with later life inflammatory status and body mass index, with childhood emotional and physical abuse not showing the same degree of correlation with inflammatory status later in early adulthood. - These results demonstrate how specific elements of environmental adversity, which, when suffered at a critical developmental period, can have lingering negative physiological consequences later in life.