Exploring the links between early life trauma and adolescent impulsivity

Supervisors: Steven Glautier and Dennis Golm 

Abstract

Early trauma experiences are negatively associated with life outcomes such as increased risk of poor mental health, negative maternal health outcomes, increased risk of infectious disease, and several others (CDC-Kaiser). One group which has a very high incidence of trauma experience are those in institutional care. Building an understanding of how early trauma impacts development is key to supporting this group, and many other children and young people.

The conventional understanding of trauma impact on development follows a cumulative model of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), whereby more ACEs lead to more difficulties in later life. This cumulative approach does reveal significant relationships between the number of ACEs an individual has and negative life outcomes but may not capture the full picture.

A more recent theoretical model of trauma proposes that early experiences fall into two domains: threat and deprivation. These two domains have different impacts on later development, with current research suggesting that, while both lead to increased likelihood of negative outcome, deprivation has a more significant impact on executive functioning and cognitive development than threat (McLaughlin and Sheridan, 2016).

Many of the risky and disadvantageous behaviours and outcomes associated with early trauma experience also correlate with reduced inhibitory control and trait impulsivity, two concepts whose relationship also requires further research.

While it is beyond the scope of this research to make any longitudinal conclusions, the data collected may begin to infer the mediating role of inhibitory control between early trauma experience and later life outcomes.

The aims of the present study then are threefold; to validate a novel measure of inhibitory control for use with a child sample, to explore the structural relationship between early trauma and later impulsivity, and to explore the relationship between trait impulsivity and inhibitory control.