Childhood trauma affects men and women differently

Men and women experience childhood trauma very differently. This is the result of an international study led by Maastricht University (UM). But how does this manifest and are similarities found?

Mental health problems in adults are nothing new. Many people have to deal with it, both privately and at work. A recent Indeed survey found that a fifth of Dutch employees suffer from mental health problems.

Childhood trauma

The researchers will present the findings on Sunday at the European Psychiatry Congress in Paris, France. An international team of researchers from the Netherlands, Turkey, Italy, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the United States analyzed data from 791 volunteers regarding childhood trauma. These volunteers were also tested for existing psychological problems, such as phobias, fears, or depression. This allowed the researchers to correlate the type of childhood trauma with symptoms presented by the same individuals as adults.

European Psychiatric Congress: New study shows men and women are affected differently by childhood trauma: https://t.co/sauTqjAbuN

– European Society of Psychiatry (Euro_Psychiatry) March 26, 2023

Find the differences

In the end, it turns out that both men and women experience serious psychological consequences from childhood emotional abuse, but this association is about twice as strong for women than it is for men.

In contrast, neglect in childhood, both physical and emotional, can be linked by researchers to later mental health problems in men, but not in women.

According to the university, childhood trauma as a risk factor for many mental disorders has been known for some time, but not with such gender-specific characteristics. says Bart Rutten, associate researcher and professor of psychiatry at MSU. “In the long term, this will definitely be important for using more patient-centered therapies.”

Sick leave

The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) recently reported that absenteeism in our country has risen again. This may be largely due to people suffering from psychological and stress-related complaints such as fatigue and depression.

Marjolene, 29, who works in healthcare and feels a lot of pressure at work: ‘This way I won’t have retirement’