Frontiers in Psychiatry (Mar 2025)

Impact of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, childhood adversities and stressful life events on depressive and anxiety symptoms: insights from the UK Biobank

  • Qianshu Ma,
  • Qianshu Ma,
  • Min Xie,
  • Min Xie,
  • Elyse Llamocca,
  • Elyse Llamocca,
  • Yupeng Luo,
  • Liling Xiao,
  • Liling Xiao,
  • Yiguo Tang,
  • Yiguo Tang,
  • Shiwan Tao,
  • Shiwan Tao,
  • Yulu Wu,
  • Yulu Wu,
  • Yunqi Huang,
  • Yunqi Huang,
  • Yubing Yin,
  • Yubing Yin,
  • Yunjia Liu,
  • Yunjia Liu,
  • Siyi Liu,
  • Siyi Liu,
  • Renhao Deng,
  • Renhao Deng,
  • Chunxia Qiao,
  • Chunxia Qiao,
  • Menghan Wei,
  • Menghan Wei,
  • Yang Chen,
  • Yang Chen,
  • Jia Cai,
  • Jia Cai,
  • Hongsheng Gui,
  • Hongsheng Gui,
  • Qiang Wang,
  • Qiang Wang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1488320
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16

Abstract

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BackgroundChildhood adversities (CAs) and stressful life events (SLEs) are linked to depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. However, their interrelationships are not well studied. We aimed to examine the potential role of PTSD symptoms as risk factors for both outcomes, test the stress sensitization hypothesis, and investigate the pathways linking CAs, stressful life events (SLEs) and PTSD symptoms, and depressive and anxiety symptoms.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using data from adult participants at baseline (2006-2010) and online follow-up (2016) in the UK Biobank. Data analysis was performed from February 24, 2023, to July 12, 2023. Linear regression and serial mediation analyses were performed.ResultsPTSD symptoms was significantly associated with depressive (β = 0.567, p<.001) and anxiety symptoms (β = 0.558, p<.001). The interaction between CAs and SLEs was still significantly associated with depressive symptoms when accounting for those of PTSD as covariates (β = 0.017, p<.001), but not for anxiety symptoms. The serial mediation analyses revealed that SLEs and PTSD symptoms were both significant sequential mediators between CAs and symptoms of depression and anxiety (proportion mediated: 75.14% and 84.27%, respectively, p< 0.05).ConclusionsOur study provided further evidence for stress sensitization hypothesis only among participants with depressive symptoms and found that SLEs and PSTD symptoms partly mediated the association between CAs and depressive and anxiety symptoms. These findings may provide new evidence to better understand the pathogenesis of depression and anxiety and will help to guide future prevention and intervention for both diseases.

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