title: Number of childhood abuse perpetrators and the occurrence of depressive episodes in adulthood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although past research has documented a link between adverse childhood experiences - particularly childhood emotional (CEA), physical (CPA), and sexual abuse (CSA) - and depression, relatively few studies have examined the unique impact of each of these highly co-occurring abuse types. Moreover, relatively little is known about the specific aspects of abuse experiences that increase risk for depression (e.g., number of perpetrators). The current study provides a conservative test of the association between the number of CEA, CPA, and CSA perpetrators, and depressive episodes in adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and ninety-nine participants were followed longitudinally for 2.5 years. CEA, CPA, and CSA were measured using the Lifetime Experiences Questionnaire, and depressive episodes were assessed with diagnostic interviews administered every 6 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After statistically controlling for the influence of cognitive risk for depression, baseline depressive symptoms, past history of clinical depression, and total number of different types of CEA, CSA, and CPA events, the number of CEA and CSA, but not CPA, perpetrators were uniquely associated with the number of depressive episodes experienced over the prospective follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that experiencing CEA and CSA from multiple perpetrators increased risk for clinical depression beyond what is accounted for by the total number of types of abuse experiences. This study highlights the need for future research to assess the specific qualities of childhood abuse experiences that uniquely confer risk for clinical depression, as well as possible mechanisms through which they exert their deleterious effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jager-Hyman
authors.forename: Clara A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Lauren B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Alloy
authors.forename: Brandon E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Gibb
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires