Associations between childhood maltreatment and dissociative experiences in young adulthood

Abstract

Background Childhood maltreatment is associated with dissociative experiences later in life, but it remains unclear which characteristics of maltreatment are most relevant for such experiences. This study examined cumulative maltreatment exposure, maltreatment types, and developmental timing experienced during childhood years. Method A representative sample (N = 2000, 47.65% women, M age = 23.89, SD = 3.59) of Lithuanian young adults (ages 18–29) completed measures of childhood maltreatment (MACE) and dissociative experiences (DES-II), a dimensional measure capturing a broad spectrum of dissociative phenomena. Results Hierarchical linear regressions with bootstrapped confidence intervals were conducted controlling for sociodemographic variables. Greater cumulative maltreatment experienced during childhood was associated with higher frequency of dissociative experiences in young adults. Physical abuse and non-verbal emotional abuse were significant predictors when examined simultaneously. Participants who experienced single and multiple types of maltreatment differed from those who did not have such experiences, however, no differences between the 2 groups were found. Developmental timing (age of onset, age of exposure, cumulative age of exposure periods) variables were not significant. Family disharmony was indirectly associated with dissociation through cumulative maltreatment. Conclusions Cumulative and threat-related maltreatment were modestly associated with frequency of dissociative experiences, whereas developmental timing and the number of maltreatment types showed more limited associations.