Study Reveals Childhood Trauma Tied To Higher COVID-19 Risks

A recent study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh has unearthed a significant connection between childhood trauma and adverse COVID-19 outcomes in adulthood. The research, which is the first of its kind, indicates that individuals who experienced childhood adversity, such as abuse or neglect, face a 12-25 per cent higher risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19.

The study, led by Jamie L. Hanson, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh's Learning Research & Development Center and an assistant professor of psychology in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, delved into data from the UK Biobank, encompassing over 151,200 adults of middle age and older in Great Britain. The results underscore the lasting impact of early trauma on health and reveal a previously overlooked factor contributing to COVID-19 disparities.

Hanson highlighted the importance of these findings, stating, "These findings highlight how trauma early in life can have long-lasting impacts on health decades later. We know that COVID-19 is related to excessive hospitalization and death in the UK and the United States. And there’s emerging research finding that facing adversity, abuse or neglect, early in life, could have sizeable effects on physical health."

Although this study paves the way for more comprehensive research, it suggests the need for policies and interventions tailored to reduce the adverse effects of childhood adversity on COVID-19 outcomes. As Hanson explained, "We may need targeted interventions for individuals and certain communities affected by childhood adversity to lessen the pandemic’s lasting impact. Adversity may lead to risk for negative outcomes and the potential to have long-COVID. We need to complete more work to understand how adversity gets ‘under the skin’ and increases vulnerability to poor health after COVID-19 infections."

In essence, the findings not only shed light on the link between early trauma and COVID-19 outcomes but also signal the potential for mitigating adversity-related negative effects in future pandemics. This groundbreaking research underscores the need to address early-life trauma as an essential aspect of public health in the face of infectious diseases.