Transactional processes between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms from middle childhood to early adolescence: Locus of control as a mediator

Abstract

Background: Previous research has identified a significant, positive relation between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms. However, the findings required replication at the within-person level. Moreover, the mediating mechanism of locus of control accounting for their relations has yet to be fully evaluated. Thus, this study examined the dynamic longitudinal relations between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms including whether locus of control functioned as a mediator between them after separating between-person effects from within-person effects.

Methods: A sample of 4110 Chinese children (50.60% boys; M_age = 9.89 at Wave 1) covering the transitional period from middle childhood to early adolescence completed a package of self-report measures on 5 occasions across 2.5 years, using 6-month intervals. Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models were applied to disaggregate between- and within-person effects. Also, alternative Cross-Lagged Panel Models were applied.

Results: Locus of control played a mediating role in the reciprocal relations between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms at the within-person level.

Limitations: Some limitations existed in the measures. Moreover, sexual abuse was not investigated in this study.

Conclusions: The findings highlighted the mediating role of locus of control in the reciprocal relations between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms at the within-person level, suggesting that interventions targeted at promoting internal locus of control may help prevent the developmental pathway from childhood maltreatment to depressive symptoms and vice versa from middle childhood to early adolescence.

Keywords: Childhood maltreatment; Depressive symptoms; Locus of control; Random intercept cross-lagged panel models; Transactional processes.