Background: Individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment are particularly vulnerable to a longer course of depression. Immunisation theories of resilience suggest that resilience and related factors may buffer against the deleterious effects of early childhood adversity. Trait mindfulness is linked to resilience and may be a pathway to cultivating this dynamic process. In this study, we investigated whether trait mindfulness can buffer against the effects of early childhood maltreatment in predicting lifetime number of months depressed. Methods: We recruited 43 previously depressed, currently remitted patients, and retrospectively examined their depression history (using a structured interview, LIFE-SCID (Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation— Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV)), their self-reported experience of maltreatment in the first 16 years of life (MOPS (Measure of Parental Style)), and their levels of trait mindfulness (MAAS (Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale)). Results: We found that number of months depressed in a lifetime was positively associated with reported childhood maltreatment, and negatively associated with trait mindfulness. Second, we found evidence that trait mindfulness significantly moderated the relationship of early childhood maltreatment and number of months depressed. Specifically, it appears that individuals who report severe histories of maltreatment are especially vulnerable to recurrent depression if they are also reporting low levels of trait mindfulness. Conclusions: Increasing mindfulness may be warranted among individuals reporting a history of childhood abuse with lower baselines of trait mindfulness; however, results of this retrospective study require replication in a larger, prospective trial.

中文翻译：

---

特质正念可以缓冲儿童期虐待对复发性抑郁症的有害影响：一项回顾性探索性研究

背景：有童年虐待史的人特别容易患上更长时间的抑郁症。弹性免疫理论表明，弹性和相关因素可以缓冲幼儿期逆境的有害影响。特质正念与适应力有关，可能是培养这种动态过程的途径。在这项研究中，我们调查了特质正念是否可以缓冲儿童早期虐待在预测终生抑郁月数方面的影响。方法：我们招募了 43 名既往抑郁、目前病情好转的患者，并回顾性检查了他们的抑郁史（使用结构化访谈，LIFE-SCID（纵向间隔随访评估 - 诊断和统计手册-IV 的结构化临床访谈）），他们自我报告的生命前 16 年的虐待经历（MOPS（父母风格的测量）），以及他们的特质正念水平（MAAS（正念注意意识量表））。结果：我们发现一生中抑郁的月数与报告的童年虐待呈正相关，与特质正念呈负相关。其次，我们发现有证据表明特质正念显着调节了儿童早期虐待与抑郁月数之间的关系。具体而言，报告严重虐待历史的个人如果也报告低水平的特质正念，则似乎特别容易患上复发性抑郁症。结论：在报告童年虐待史且特质正念基线较低的个体中，可能需要增加正念；然而，这项回顾性研究的结果需要在更大的前瞻性试验中进行复制。