Can Physical Exercise Buffer the Negative Sequelae of Experienced Child Abuse?

摘要

Child abuse (CA) can have a range of adverse physiological, psychological, and behavioral effects on survivors, which can persist into adulthood. Self-regulation theory can elucidate the interconnection of these various maladaptive sequelae. Specifically, self-regulation can be conceptualized as a system that may be observed at the physiological, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive levels. Research suggests that self-regulation can buffer the negative effects of trauma on mental health outcomes. Accordingly, several traditional and non-traditional trauma treatments (e.g., Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, yoga) aim to improve self-regulating abilities.;Another activity that may promote self-regulation in CA survivors is physical exercise. Exercise has suggested psychological, behavioral, and physiological benefits in both clinical and non-clinical populations, but has been seldom researched in relation to child abuse. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to assess the potential benefits of physical exercise on adult child abuse survivors' physical and psychological wellbeing and emotion regulation.;Eighty-nine undergraduate participants completed questionnaires regarding abuse history, physical exercise history, and psychological wellbeing. Participants who endorsed a more extensive child abuse history reported lower self-esteem as well as more symptoms of depression, somatization, and PTSD. Additionally, participants who exercised more frequently reported fewer symptoms of depression, physical illness, and (marginally) somatization. Partial correlation analyses suggest that physical exercise may partially mediate the relationships between child abuse history and depression as well as child abuse history and somatization, though further research is warranted.;Participants who endorsed a more extensive child abuse history reported more emotion regulation difficulties, particularly less awareness of their emotional responses, difficulty controlling impulses when experiencing negative emotions, and less effective emotion regulation strategies. In turn, these domains of emotion regulation were related to lower self-esteem as well as more symptoms of depression, anxiety, somatization, PTSD, and physical illness. Interestingly, exercise was related to another aspect of emotion regulation. Participants who exercised more frequently endorsed fewer difficulties engaging in goal-directed behaviors when experiencing negative emotions. In turn, this domain of emotion regulation was related to higher self-esteem and fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Thus, abuse history and physical exercise impact different domains of self-regulation, which in turn, affect physical and psychological wellbeing in varying ways.;Hierarchical regression analyses suggest that specific domains of emotion regulation are the most significant in predicting physical and psychological wellbeing, beyond the impact of child abuse or exercise. Because unique aspects of emotion regulation underlie the impact of child abuse history and physical exercise on psychological wellbeing, therapeutic interventions, including physical exercise, should aim to improve these specific regulating abilities.