Experiencing childhood trauma appears to increase a young person's likelihood of smoking, using drugs and developing unhealthy eating habits by contributing to behavioural problems during adolescence, such as impulsivity and poor self-control. This is the finding of new research led by the 性视界 and colleagues at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
Addressing these mental health difficulties early could help reduce some of the long-term physical health consequences of childhood trauma, such as heart disease and other serious health problems.
The researchers analysed data from more than 鈥� one of the world's largest and most detailed long-running studies following people from birth into adulthood. The team tracked exposure to potentially traumatic events during childhood, mental health in adolescence and health-related behaviours at age 18.
Unlike many previous studies, which rely on adults recalling traumatic experiences that happened to them many years ago, this research followed young people over time from childhood into early adulthood, thereby providing a clearer picture of how trauma, mental health and later health behaviours may be connected.
The findings from the new study, published today in the , suggest that 'externalising' mental health problems, such as impulsive, aggressive or disruptive behaviours, partly explain the link between childhood trauma and later smoking, illicit drug use, problematic alcohol consumption and diets high in ultra-processed foods.
There was little evidence that internalising problems (such as anxiety and depression) played a similarly important role.
Early interventions
, lead author from the Department of Psychology at the 性视界, said: 鈥淚nterventions that help trauma-exposed youth regulate their emotions and behaviours better could have benefits beyond reducing mental health difficulties.
鈥淭hey might also reduce harmful behaviours that contribute to cardiovascular disease and other physical health problems later in life.鈥�
, also from the Department of Psychology 性视界, said: 鈥淭he relationship between childhood trauma and later health outcomes appears to be more complex than we previously thought.
鈥淪ome mental health problems, like anxiety, surprisingly seem relatively unrelated to later risky behaviour, while behaviour problems and issues with anger seemed to explain much of the effect of childhood trauma on risky health behaviours later in life. This strengthens the case for increasing the availability and effectiveness of interventions for mental health problems amongst trauma-exposed youth.鈥�
Dr Alicia Matijasevich, from the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of S茫o Paulo and co-senior author of the study, said: 鈥淐hildhood trauma and health-risk behaviours are often studied separately. What this study adds is evidence that mental health during adolescence may be part of the pathway linking experiences earlier in childhood with health-related behaviours at age 18.
鈥淔ollowing the same individuals over time allowed us to examine how traumatic experiences, mental health and behaviours are connected across different stages of development, providing a better understanding of how childhood trauma may be linked to health-related behaviours in late adolescence.鈥�
Though the new study focused on people living in Brazil, the researchers believe their analysis has implications well beyond this country. , with research from the Bristol-based ALSPAC birth cohort finding that around one in six children experienced physical abuse during childhood. Concerns about children's mental health have risen sharply in recent years.
The universal benefits of physical activity
One perhaps surprising finding from the study was that externalising problems were also associated with higher levels of movement and physical activity, suggesting the consequences of childhood trauma and mental health difficulties are not uniformly negative across all health behaviours.
Dr Townend said: 鈥淔uture interventions could explore ways of channelling this energy into structured, health-promoting activities, such as team sports, that support physical wellbeing and may provide positive alternatives to risky health behaviours.鈥�
The team plans to continue investigating how childhood experiences shape long-term health, including exploring how trauma may be linked to early signs of heart and metabolic disease in late adolescence, such as higher resting heart rate and blood pressure, increased body weight, and unhealthy cholesterol and fat levels in the blood.