Association between schizoid tendencies and aggressive behaviors: mediating and moderating influences in childhood trauma and life events among Chinese adolescents

Annals of General Psychiatry

Jianbo Liu¹  Tingyu Yang²  Xuerong Luo²  Yuqiong He²  Xilong Cui²  Shuxian Wu² 

[1] Department of Child Psychiatry of Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, School of Mental Health, Shenzhen University, 518003, Shenzhen, China;National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, China;

关键词: Adolescent;    Life events;    Aggressive behaviors;    Childhood trauma;    Schizoid tendencies;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12991-021-00371-1

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThis study investigated an association between schizoid tendencies and aggressive behaviors in Chinese adolescents, and explored the underlying mechanism.MethodsThe data of 3094 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years were collected from an epidemiological survey in China. All the subjects or their parents completed the Achenbach’s Child Behavior Checklist, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, and the Adolescent Self-rating Life Event Checklist (ASLEC).ResultsRelative to the non-schizoid group, adolescents with schizoid tendencies (male or female) showed significantly higher scores for aggressive behaviors, emotional abuse, and ASLEC. Regarding females only, those with schizoid tendencies had significantly higher (lower) scores for physical abuse and emotional neglect (physical neglect). The aggressive behaviors score was predicted by scores for schizoid tendencies (βmale = 0.620, βfemale = 0.638, both P < 0.001) and ASLEC (βmale = 0.125, βfemale = 0.061, both P < 0.01), and by childhood trauma score (males: emotional neglect [β = 0.045, P = 0.021]; females: emotional abuse and sexual abuse [β = 0.118 and − 0.062, both P < 0.01]). The ASLEC and childhood trauma scores mediated the association between scores for schizoid tendencies and aggressive behaviors, specifically, emotional neglect (emotional abuse and sexual abuse) in males (females). In females, the interaction between scores for childhood trauma and ASLEC affected the aggressive behaviors score (P = 0.023).ConclusionsSchizoid tendencies are associated with aggressive behaviors among Chinese adolescents. Recent life events and childhood trauma mediated an association between schizoid tendencies and aggressive behaviors. The interaction between childhood trauma and recent life events affected aggressive behaviors in females. Aggressive behaviors in adolescents may be ameliorated by reducing childhood trauma and life events.

【 授权许可】

CC BY