Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | Prospective and retrospective measures of child maltreatment and their association with psychopathology: A systematic review and meta-analysis |
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| Contribution code | D3.135 |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
Background: Prospective and retrospective measures of maltreatment identify largely different groups of individuals. However, it is unclear if these measures are differentially associated with psychopathology. This study aimed to analyse the associations of prospective and retrospective measures of childhood maltreatment with psychopathology. Method: Based on a preregistered protocol, Embase, PsycInfo, and MEDLINE were searched for peer-reviewed studies published by 01/01/23. Observational studies that measured the associations of prospective and retrospective measures of child maltreatment with psychopathology were included. Titles and abstracts of all articles were screened by 2 authors. Multiple investigators independently extracted data. Multilevel random-effects meta-analyses were used to pool the results and test predictors of heterogeneity. Results and Conclusions: The meta-analyses included 24 studies with 15,485 individuals (51.0% female; mean age, 21.3 years at retrospective report). Retrospective measures showed stronger associations with psychopathology than prospective measures in both unadjusted analyses (retrospective OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.94-2.42 vs prospective OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.39-1.76) and adjusted analyses (retrospective OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.90-2.42 vs prospective OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.13-1.41). No significant moderation was found for prospective measures. Associations between retrospective measures and psychopathology were stronger when psychopathology was assessed through self-reports and focused on internalising disorders. Our findings indicate psychopathology is more strongly associated with retrospective measures, which capture subjective appraisals of childhood events, compared to prospective measures. Maltreatment-related psychopathology may be driven by subjective interpretations, distressing memories, and associated schemas, suggesting that cognitive interventions could be beneficial. |