Poster #59 - Reward processing modulates the association between distinct forms of childhood adversity and psychopathology

• In Event: 2-110 - Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Section - Developmental Psychopathology

Integrative Statement

Background: Childhood adversity (CA) is common, with 30-50% of children experiencing some form of CA before adulthood, and strongly associated with risk for psychopathology (Green et al., 2010; McLaughlin et al., 2012). Identifying factors that buffer children from experiencing psychopathology following CA is critical for developing more effective intervention approaches. Elevated sensitivity to reward has been shown to buffer against adolescent depression following child maltreatment in one prior study (Dennison et al., 2016), though it is unclear whether this extends to other forms of CA (e.g., deprivation) and other types of psychopathology known to be associated with disruptions in reward processing (e.g., externalizing problems). The goal of the present study was to examine reward processing as a moderator of the association of multiple dimensions of CA (encompassing both trauma and deprivation) with depression and externalizing psychopathology.
Method: A total of 168 children aged 8-16 years participated. We used multiple methods for assessing childhood exposure to CAs involving threat (i.e., traumatic experiences) and deprivation. We examined three CA types in our analysis: trauma (including physical abuse, sexual abuse, witnessing domestic violence); caregiver neglect; and food insecurity. We evaluated whether reward processing moderated the association of both CA exposure and CA severity with psychopathology for each of the three CA types. Depression symptoms were assessed with the CDI-II and externalizing symptoms were assessed with the Youth Self-Report and Child Behavior Checklist, respectively. We measured reward reactivity (i.e., difference in reaction time between high- and low-reward trials) and approach motivation (i.e., total points earned) using a child-friendly version of the Monetary Incentive Delay task (Helfinstein et al., 2013). 132 children successfully completed the task and were included in analyses.
Results: All measures of CA exposure and severity were significantly associated with depression and externalizing symptoms (all ps < .001). Lower approach motivation (i.e., fewer total points earned on the reward processing task) was associated with higher levels of depression (ß=-.19, p=.025) and externalizing (ß=-.21, p=.015) symptoms. Reward reactivity moderated the association of food insecurity exposure (b=-3.27, p<.01) and severity (b=-.61, p=.03) as well as trauma severity (b=-.27, p<.05) with depression symptoms. Food insecurity exposure and severity and trauma severity were strongly associated with depression symptoms for children with low and moderate levels of reward reactivity, but were not associated with depression at high levels of reward reactivity (Figure 1). Reward reactivity also moderated the association of trauma exposure with externalizing symptoms (b=2.95, p=.04); high reward reactivity was associated with higher externalizing symptoms in children exposed to trauma but lower externalizing symptoms among children without trauma exposure (Figure 2).
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that high reward reactivity may be a protective factor that buffers children against developing depression symptoms following multiple forms of CA and a risk factor for externalizing symptoms following exposure to trauma. These findings suggest that targeting reward processing in interventions, like behavioral activation, may be an effective strategy for preventing depression among youths exposed to CA but could exacerbate externalizing problems for some children.

Authors

• Steven Kasparek, Harvard University
  Presenting Author

• Jessica Jenness, University of Washington
  Non-Presenting Author

• Katie McLaughlin, Harvard University
  Non-Presenting Author