Individuals with a history of childhood traumatic experiences may exert maladaptive coping strategies and impaired adult quality of life.

The present study explored the association between childhood traumatic experiences, coping strategies, and quality of life.

We aimed to evaluate whether childhood traumatic experiences or specific coping strategies may significantly predict quality of life.

This is a cross-sectional study including 276 patients (19.9% men, 81.1% women; mean age: 48.1 years, SD: 16.9), of which most with major affective disorders, who were recruited at the psychiatric unit of the university of Genoa (Italy). All participants were assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Cope), and Short Form 12 Health Survey version 2 (SF-12).

Subjects with a history of emotional abuse were more likely to have an earlier age of onset of their psychiatric conditions, an earlier age of their first treatment/hospitalization, higher recurrent episodes and days of hospitalization, longer illness duration and non-psychiatric treatments at intake when compared with those who did not present any history of abuse. Based on regression analyses, only positive reinterpretation and growth, focus on and venting of emotions, and substance abuse, but not childhood traumatic experiences, resulted positive predictors of physical quality of life. Moreover, focus on and venting of emotions was able to predict mental quality of life.

While traumatic experiences did not predict quality of life, specific coping strategies were significant predictors of quality of life. Further studies are requested to test these preliminary results.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.