Maltreatment in childhood, perceived social support in adulthood and risk of depression

Introduction. Social support could constitute a pathway in the association between maltreatment in childhood and the risk of depression in adulthood. Our objective was (1) to investigate the association between child abuse and depression in adulthood, and (2) to test the effect of perceived social support in adulthood as a pathway in this association. Methods. Data. SIRS cohort study, a longitudinal epidemiological survey of 4560 adults of the Paris metropolitan area conducted since 2005. Data collection in 2005 and 2010 (n=1460). Outcome: Cases of depression identified by the Mini-Diag in 2005 and in 2010. Individual variables: maltreatment in childhood (retrospective data on physical or sexual child abuse and exposure to interparental violence), perceived social support in 2005 (defined as the number of sources of emotional, financial and instrumental support). Statistical analysis: structural equation modeling with latent variables. Results. Maltreatemnt in childhood was associated with a higher risk of depression in 2005 and in 2010 (Beta=0.33;t=2.59), but not with a lack of perceived social support in 2005 (Beta=0.01;t=0.17). In the full structural equation model (RMSEA<0.05;NFI>0.96), the higher the number of perceived social support sources in 2005, the lower the risk of depression in 2010 (Beta=-0.16;t=-2.05). Conclusion. In the SIRS cohort study, these results suggest that psychological factors such as violence in childhood and social interactions later in adulthood have an independent effect on the occurence of depression. Both factors have to be included in the psychosocial model of depression.