Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a common psychological stressor associated with multiple mental disorders. While CM is associated with vulnerability to depression and anxiety, little is known about the specific mechanism underlying this relationship.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the white matter (WM) of healthy adults with CM and their relationships with depression and anxiety to provide biological evidence for the development of mental disorders in subjects with childhood trauma.Methods: The CM group included 40 healthy adults with CM. The non-CM group included 40 healthy adults without CM. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were collected, and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were applied to the whole brain to assess WM differences between the two groups; post-hoc fibre tractography was used to characterise the developmental differences; and mediation analysis was used to assess the relationships among the Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) results, DTI indices, and depression and anxiety scores.Results: Relative to the non-CM group, the CM group revealed significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right posterior corona radiata (PCR-R), right anterior corona radiata (ACR-R), left super corona radiata (SCR-L), anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), and right posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC-R). Additionally, shorter fibre bundles passed through the PCR-R, ACR-R, and ATR in the CM group compared with the non-CM group. Besides, the length of the ACR-R mediated the relationship between CM and trait anxiety.Conclusions: The alteration of white matter microstructure associated with childhood trauma in healthy adults may reflect biomarkers of childhood trauma. Besides, an alteration of WM microstructure in healthy adults with CM mediates the association between CM and trait anxiety, which may represent the vulnerability to developing mental disorders after childhood trauma experiences.
In this paper, we found specific alterations associated with CM in healthy adults, which may mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and trait anxiety in later life.

BACKGROUND: People lived through different types of stresses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and stresses from different sources are believed to associate differently with mental health.
OBJECTIVE: The current study aims to examine the relationship between types of stresses and mental health among the general Chinese adult population, and further explore the moderating role of social support in these relationships.
METHODS: This study was conducted from 1 to 10 February 2020, and 2441 participants were recruited through an online cross-sectional survey from 31 provinces in China. We used multiple linear regression analyses to examine the associations among stresses\' types, social support, and mental health.
RESULTS: The study revealed that all types of stresses were associated with more mental health symptoms. Stresses from lockdown policy presented stronger associations with mental health symptoms (Beta = 0.387 for depressive symptoms and Beta = 0.385 for post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS)) than stresses from pandemic fear (Beta = 0.195 for depressive symptoms and Beta = 0.221 for PTSS). Moreover, greater social support enhanced the positive associations between stresses and mental health symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS: Stresses from lockdown policies during the early stage of the COVID-19 epidemic are worthy of more attention. We urge more interventions are required to reduce the side-effect of lockdown policies, and also discuss implications for mental health promotion.
Antecedentes: Las personas vivieron diferentes tipos de estrés durante la pandemia de COVID-19, y se cree que el estrés de diferentes fuentes se asocia de manera diferente con la salud mental.Objetivos: El presente estudio pretende examinar la relación entre los tipos de estrés y la salud mental entre la población general adulta china, y explorar además el papel moderador del apoyo social en estas relaciones.Métodos: Este estudio se llevó a cabo del 1 al 10 de febrero de 2020, y 2441 participantes fueron reclutados a través de una encuesta transversal en línea de 31 provincias de China. Se utilizaron análisis de regresión lineal múltiple para examinar las asociaciones entre los tipos de estrés, el apoyo social y la salud mental.Resultados: El estudio reveló que todos los tipos de estrés se asociaron con más síntomas de salud mental. El estrés derivado de la política de confinamiento presentó asociaciones más fuertes con los síntomas de salud mental (Beta=0,387 para los síntomas depresivos y Beta=0,385 para los síntomas de estrés postraumático (PTSS, en siglas en inglés)) que el estrés derivado del miedo a la pandemia (Beta=0,195 para los síntomas depresivos y Beta=0,221 para los PTSS). Además, un mayor apoyo social mejoró las asociaciones positivas entre el estrés y los síntomas de salud mental.Conclusiones: El estrés provocado por las políticas de confinamiento durante la fase inicial de la epidemia de COVID-19 merece más atención. Instamos a que se realicen más intervenciones para reducir el efecto secundario de las políticas de confinamiento, y también discutimos las implicaciones para la promoción de la salud mental.
背景: 新冠疫情下给人们带来各种各样的压力, 这些压力进而影响人们的精神健康状况。目的: 本研究将探究疫情多重压力与个体精神健康之间的关系, 并进一步探究社会支持是否可以缓解压力对精神健康的影响。方法: 2020年2月1-10日, 通过在线调查的方式, 纳入2441名参与者。通过多元线性回归方法检验压力, 社会支持及精神健康之间的关系。结果: 研究发现, 所有的压力均显著影响精神健康结果, 隔离政策带来的压力比病毒本身带来的压力对个体精神健康的影响更大 (抑郁:Beta=0.387 VS 0.195; 创伤后应激症状:Beta=0.385 VS 0.221 for PTSS)。不合理的社会支持可能会增强压力与精神健康之间的关系。结论: 隔离政策所带来的压力对人们精神健康的副作用需要被关注, 应该采取适宜的干预措施来减少隔离对人们精神健康的副作用。.