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Abstract
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Aims: Given a vicious cycle of victimization, early life adversity (ELA) in childhood may be associated with peer victimization in adolescence. Volumetric alteration in the hippocampus implicated in stress sensitivity has been reported in individuals with ELA. This study aimed to examine a moderating role of hippocampal volumes in the association between ELA and peer victimization in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD).
Methods: This study included 78 adolescents with MDD (age M (SD) = 14.92 (1.54) years, 56 girls). Our participants completed the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form and Peer-Victimization Scale to assess ELA and peer victimization, respectively. High-resolution structural T1 images were collected using a Siemens 3T MR scanner. Whole hippocampus volumes were segmented and calculated using the FreeSurfer 6.0 package. We conducted correlation and moderation analyses to test our moderation model.
Results: Emotional abuse, one type of ELA, was significantly correlated with peer victimization, controlling for age and sex. The association between emotional abuse and peer victimization was moderated by bilateral hippocampal volumes in adolescents with MDD, controlling for age, sex and intracranial volume. The association between emotional abuse and peer victimization was stronger when bilateral hippocampal volumes were larger than they were smaller.
Conclusions: Our finding supported the idea of the vicious cycle of victimization, which may be a critical aspect of adolescent depression. Furthermore, the moderation results suggest the important role of hippocampal volumes in the cycle of victimization in adolescents with MDD.
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