How Do Genes and Environment Influence Self-Reports of Childhood Trauma?

What you need to know

• Both genetic factors and childhood environment influence how adults report experiencing trauma in childhood
• Genetic predisposition to autism spectrum disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder is associated with higher likelihood of reporting childhood trauma, even when accounting for adverse childhood experiences
• These findings suggest some individuals may be more sensitive to experiencing or interpreting events as traumatic due to genetic factors

How genetic makeup and childhood experiences shape trauma reports

When researchers study the effects of childhood trauma, they often rely on adults’ self-reports of traumatic experiences from their youth. However, these retrospective reports can be influenced by many factors beyond just the events that occurred. A new study examines how both a person’s genes and their childhood environment shape how they report experiencing trauma as a child.

The research, published in The British Journal of Psychiatry, analyzed data from nearly 4,000 participants in a long-running British twin study. The researchers looked at how genetic predisposition for various traits and disorders, as well as adverse childhood experiences, related to participants’ self-reported childhood trauma at age 21.

Genetic factors associated with trauma reports

The study found that certain genetic factors were associated with a higher likelihood of reporting childhood trauma, even when accounting for actual adverse experiences in childhood. Specifically:

• Genetic predisposition for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was linked to increased reporting of childhood trauma
• Genetic risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was also associated with higher rates of reported childhood trauma

These associations remained even after the researchers controlled for environmental adversity across childhood and adolescence. This suggests that genetic liability for ASD and PTSD may increase an individual’s sensitivity to experiencing or interpreting events as traumatic.

“Our findings indicate that self-reports of trauma are associated with heritable reporter characteristics,” explains lead author Alicia Peel. “This doesn’t mean these events weren’t traumatic. Rather, it provides a framework for understanding how subjective experiences relate to the outcomes of reported trauma.”

The role of childhood environment

The study also examined how adverse childhood experiences related to later reports of trauma. Not surprisingly, participants who experienced more environmental adversity across childhood and adolescence were more likely to report childhood trauma at age 21.

Specifically, self-reported environmental adversity in early adolescence showed the strongest association with later trauma reports. This measure captured factors like:

• Home chaos
• Parental discipline
• Parental monitoring and control
• Stressful life events
• Peer victimization

Parent-reported environmental adversity in middle childhood was also linked to higher rates of self-reported trauma in adulthood. This included factors like:

• Changes in parents’ marital status or finances
• Parental feelings and discipline
• Stressful life events
• Child relationship problems

“These environmental factors likely reflect actual exposure to potentially traumatic experiences,” notes Peel. “But it’s important to recognize that both genes and environment play a role in shaping how people recall and report childhood trauma.”

Implications for understanding trauma

The researchers emphasize that their findings do not imply that genetic predisposition causes a person to experience adversity. Rather, genetic factors may influence how events are subjectively experienced, interpreted and recalled.

“A broad range of experiences may be considered traumatic for individuals with higher genetic liability for ASD or PTSD,” explains senior author Thalia Eley. “These individuals may need clinical support even if diagnostic criteria for trauma are not met.”

The study highlights the complex interplay between genes and environment in shaping perceptions of childhood experiences. The authors note several key implications:

• Studies on associations between self-reported childhood trauma and later-life outcomes should consider that genetically influenced characteristics may confound these relationships
• Clinicians should recognize that individuals may have different thresholds for experiencing events as traumatic based partly on genetic factors
• Identifying specific cognitive biases linked to genetic liability for ASD and PTSD could help guide treatment approaches

“A better understanding of the subjective experience of trauma will help identify possible vulnerability factors for psychopathology and targets for novel treatments,” Eley concludes.

Conclusions

• Both genetic predisposition and childhood environment influence how adults report experiencing trauma in childhood
• Genetic liability for autism spectrum disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder is associated with increased reporting of childhood trauma, even when accounting for adverse experiences
• These findings highlight the complex interplay between genes and environment in shaping perceptions and memories of childhood experiences
• Understanding these factors can help improve research on childhood trauma and inform clinical approaches for supporting individuals with trauma histories