Childhood Maltreatment, Distrust, and Perceived Threat (1 CE)

Number of Credits: 1

This course is for: Clinical Psychologists, Counselors, and Marriage & Family Therapists

Course By: Ken Springer, PhD and Kristin Ceppaluni, LMHC

Content By: Hepp, J., Schmitz, S. E., Urbild, J., Zauner, K., & Niedtfeld, I. (2021). Childhood maltreatment is associated with distrust and negatively biased emotion processing. Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation, 8(5).

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-020-00143-5

Course Description: Cognitive models of PTSD hold that trauma leads to changes such as greater mistrust and perceived threat from others. The present study examined whether these changes also occur following child maltreatment (CM). Adults who participated in this study self-reported on childhood trauma and then participated in a distrust game and an emotion rating task. In the distrust game, participants judged the trustworthiness of others based on facial appearance as well as positive  feedback about others received in the midst of the game. In the emotion rating task, participants judged the negativity or positivity of a set of faces that varied in emotional expression. The researchers found that higher levels of CM predicted higher levels of distrust, as well as a smaller decline in distrust following positive feedback about others. Higher levels of CM were also found to predict more negatively shifted emotion ratings. The results have clinical implications for establishing therapeutic relationships with as well as supporting individuals who have experienced CM.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the theoretical framework in which CM is expected to lead to greater distrust and perceived threat, and analyze how these variables were measured
2. Describe the main findings of the study concerning relationships among CM, distrust, and perceived threat
3. Integrate the strengths and limitations of the study, and summarize the clinical implications for conducting therapy with individuals who have experienced CM

Course Outline:

• Read and understand Childhood maltreatment is associated with distrust and negatively biased emotion processing
• Review the Course Description and Learning Objectives
• Understand the theoretical framework in which CM leads to cognitive changes such as greater distrust and perceived threat
• Understand the online methods by which CM, distrust, and perceived threat were measured
• Analyze the specific relationships found among CM, distrust, and perceived threat
• Integrate the study's key findings, strengths, limitations, and practical implications
• Work through the post-test questions, using the article as the sole basis for your answers
• Revisit the article for any missed questions and/or to better understand how CM leads to increased distrust and perceived threat

Approvals: