The Role of Childhood Maltreatment in Anxiety Disorders: An Overview

Childhood maltreatment is a public health issue that has long-term effects on mental health, especially an elevated risk of anxiety disorders.  Using data from current studies released in the last ten years, this review investigates the processes relating early adverse experiences during childhood to anxiety disorders.  Using certain keywords associated with anxiety and childhood trauma, literature was found using PubMed and ScienceDirect searches.  There is evidence to support a multifactorial model in which maltreatment during childhood increases anxiety vulnerability through psychological maladaptation, biological changes in stress regulation, long-lasting genetic-epigenetic changes, and social-cognitive pathways like envy and maladaptive social comparison.  Changes in personality and emotion regulation, long-term hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation, epigenetic changes impacting stress-response genes, and the amplification of negative affect via malignant envy are important causes. Among children and people exposed to abuse, protective variables like resilience, supportive family situations, and cognitive-behavioral prevention are emphasized as possible tactics to lower risk and improve adaptability.  To improve outcomes for impacted individuals and guide public health policy, future research should concentrate on modifiable pathways and preventive treatments.