Exploration of the relationship between social cognition and PTSD using data from the ALSPAC cohort

Previous studies have shown an association between social cognition (emotion recognition, social perception, attributional style, and mentalization) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but there have been no longitudinal studies on this topic. We hypothesize that childhood social cognitive differences are associated with subsequent trauma exposure and PTSD.

Data from the Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were used. The Social Communications Disorder Checklist (SCDC) at age 7.5 years, the Diagnostic Analysis of Non-Verbal Accuracy Scale (DANVA) Receptive Facial Expressions Subtest at 8 years, and the Emotional Triangles task at 13.5 years were used. Outcome measures were trauma ages 14-23 years using the LEC-5 and screening positive for PTSD at 23 years of age using the PCL-5. Logistic regression analyses were used and adjusted for sex, socioeconomic status, verbal IQ, and autism diagnosis for the trauma outcome and, additionally, childhood trauma ages 0-10 years for the PTSD outcome. A sensitivity analysis examined whether an association remained with adolescent/adult trauma after excluding those with childhood trauma.

Global social cognition differences measured via the SCDC were associated with trauma in the main and sensitivity analyses (OR_adj 1.09, 95% CI 1.08, 1.11, p-value <0.001) as were errors on the Triangles task (OR_adj 1.04, 95% CI 1.03, 1.06, p-value <0.001). The SCDC was also associated with PTSD (OR_adj 1.15, 95% CI 1.12, 1.18, p-value <0.001) as were errors on the Triangles task (OR_adj 1.16, 95% CI 1.13, 1.20, p-value <0.001). No association was found with the DANVA task and the outcomes measured.

These results support a temporal relationship between social cognitive variation and subsequent trauma and PTSD.