Childhood maltreatment, social connectedness, and depression: A prospective analysis of trajectories over time

Childhood maltreatment is associated with a range of negative social and psychological outcomes at different developmental stages. Using data from a prospective longitudinal study of the consequences of childhood maltreatment, we examine whether childhood maltreatment predicts lower levels of social connectedness and more depression symptoms over a 30-year time period and examine the directionality of the trajectories from childhood into middle adulthood. Children (ages 0-11 years) with documented histories of maltreatment and demographically matched controls were followed into adulthood across four waves: 1989-1995 (n = 1,196; M_age = 29.2 years, SD = 3.9), 2000-2002 (n = 896; M_age = 39.5 years, SD = 3.6), 2003-2005 (n = 808; M_age = 41.2 years, SD = 3.6), and 2009-2010 (n = 649; Mage = 47.0 years, SD = 3.5). Social connectedness and depressive symptoms were measured at all four time points. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to estimate bidirectional relationships between social connectedness and depression symptoms and the extent to which the trajectories differed for the maltreated and control groups. Individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment generally had significantly lower levels of social connectedness and higher levels of depression compared to matched controls. Depression was associated with lower levels of social connectedness concurrently at ages 39, 41, and 47. Depression predicted lower social connectedness, and social connectedness predicted lower depression in middle adulthood, but not young adulthood. Better understanding of the long-term impact of childhood maltreatment on social connectedness and depression has implications for designing effective interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).