Sluggish cognitive tempo and exposure to interpersonal trauma in children. Issue 1 (2nd January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Musicaro, Regina Marie; Ford, Julian; Suvak, Michael K.; Sposato, Anne; Andersen, Susan
• Is Part Of: Anxiety, stress, and coping. Volume 33:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 100
• Page End: 114
• Publication Date: 2020-01-02
• Subjects: Trauma -- interpersonal -- sluggish cognitive tempo -- children -- adolescents; Anxiety -- Periodicals; Anxiety -- Research -- Periodicals; Anxiety -- periodicals; Stress -- periodicals; Adaptation, Psychological -- periodicals; 616.8522
• DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2019.1695124
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1061-5806

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Background: Childhood adversity has been suggested, but not yet empirically examined, as a factor in sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) in childhood. Objective: This study was an examination of SCT in relation to childhood adversity, and its association with exposure to non-interpersonal and interpersonal trauma. Method: Caregivers ( N = 161) and a sub-sample of children, 8–17 years old, were recruited from mental health and pediatric practices/programs and interviewed. Results: SCT was positively associated with interpersonal trauma but not non-interpersonal trauma. Two hierarchical regression analyses revealed that interpersonal trauma exposure was associated with SCT score over and above symptoms of other psychopathologies. Conclusion: Results suggest that SCT is associated with interpersonal trauma exposure in children. Further research is needed to examine the association between SCT and interpersonal trauma exposure, and trauma-related biopsychosocial impairments.