Exploring the impact of psychological trauma: associations between childhood trauma, PTSD, pain management and neuroticism

Abstract

Childhood trauma exerts enduring influence on adult psychological functioning, shaping emotional regulation, personality development, and stress responses. This thesis presents two complementary investigations into the long-term consequences of trauma. Chapter 2 offers the most comprehensive and large-scale synthesis to date on the relationship between childhood trauma and adult neuroticism, a transdiagnostic trait linked to a range of mental health vulnerabilities. Drawing on data from over 436,000 participants across 127 studies, the meta-analysis found a significant and robust association between trauma and neuroticism (g = 0.48), with the strongest effects observed for emotional abuse. These findings highlight the consistency of this association across trauma subtypes and underscore the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms, such as attachment disruptions and stress system dysregulation through which trauma may shape transdiagnostic traits. Chapter 3 builds on this by examining how trauma-related adaptations play out in the context of pain. Using survey data from 159 adults with chronic or acute pain, this empirical study explores the interplay between childhood trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and pain coping strategies. Emotional and physical abuse were positively associated with pain intensity and PTSD symptoms, while coping strategies like distraction and coping self-statements showed protective associations, particularly in the chronic pain group. These results suggest that trauma-related traits may influence pain perception and coping differently depending on pain chronicity, supporting models such as shared vulnerability and mutual maintenance. Implications span multiple levels: at the micro level, increasing individual awareness and coping support; at the meso level, informing trauma-sensitive clinical interventions and interdisciplinary care; and at the macro level, reinforcing the need for systemic preventative measures and public health strategies that address the long-term psychological consequences of childhood trauma. The thesis also reflects a commitment to inclusive research practices, including the adoption of more compassionate language around coping. These insights inform both theoretical understanding and practical approaches to supporting individuals affected by the enduring consequences of trauma.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Norma Rosanna Rosenek: orcid.org/0000-0002-1418-1274

ORCID for Jayne Morriss: orcid.org/0000-0002-7928-9673

ORCID for Lyn Ellett: orcid.org/0000-0002-6051-3604

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