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Childhood trauma and adulthood adverse experiences and risk of new-onset depression across the lifespan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 July 2025

Xuemei Wang ,
Tingshan Duan ,
Zhi Cao  and
Chenjie Xu Open the ORCID record for Chenjie Xu [Opens in a new window]
Xuemei Wang
Affiliation:
School of Public Administration, Hangzhou Normal University, China
Tingshan Duan
Affiliation:
School of Public Administration, Hangzhou Normal University, China
Zhi Cao
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China
Chenjie Xu*
Affiliation:
School of Public Administration, Hangzhou Normal University, China
*
Correspondence: Chenjie Xu. Email: xuchenjie@hznu.edu.cn
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Abstract

Background

Exposure to childhood trauma or adverse adulthood experiences (AAEs) may increase depression risk. However, the relationships between these factors and age of depression onset remain unclear.

Aims

We aimed to investigate the associations of childhood trauma and AAEs with depression risk across life stages, and their joint effects on lifetime depression risk.

Method

A total of 118 164 participants without prior depression from UK Biobank (UKB) were included. Adverse experiences during childhood and adulthood were assessed through the online mental health questionnaire in 2016, primarily including physical neglect, physical abuse, emotional neglect, emotional abuse and sexual abuse. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to explore the independent and joint effects of childhood trauma and AAEs on the age of depression onset.

Results

In the multivariable-adjusted models, compared with low childhood trauma, high childhood trauma was associated with higher risk of depression occurring in early adulthood [hazard ratio 2.35, 95% CIs: 2.12–2.59] and middle adulthood (hazard ratio 1.86, 95% CIs: 1.67–2.07). Likewise, in comparison with lower levels of AAEs, higher levels were significantly associated with an elevated risk of depression during middle adulthood (hazard ratio 2.71, 95% CIs: 2.26–3.25). In joint analyses we found that, compared with individuals with low AAEs and low childhood trauma, those with low AAEs and high childhood trauma (hazard ratio 1.80, 95% CIs: 1.41–2.30) and those with high AAEs and low childhood trauma (hazard ratio 1.74, 95% CIs: 1.35–2.26) exhibited similarly significant effects on the risk of depression, suggesting that childhood trauma and AAEs had contributed equally to lifetime depression (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

Exposure to childhood trauma or AAEs presented a more detrimental effect on the early onset of depression compared with later stages throughout the lifespan. Our findings advise paying attention to traumatic events at any life stage, and the instigation of prompt intervention strategies following traumatic events, to minimise the risk of lifetime depression.

Keywords

Childhood traumaadverse adulthood experiencesage-related riskdepression

Information

Type
Original Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , First View , pp. 1 - 7
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal College of Psychiatrists

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Footnotes

*

Co-corresponding authors.

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