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Lifetime trauma, perceived control, and all-cause mortality: Results from the MIDUS study
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January 25 2018
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Source: Health Psychol. 37(3):262-270
[PDF-510.99 KB]
Details:
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Alternative Title:Health Psychol
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Personal Author:
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Description:Objective
To investigate whether lifetime trauma exposure predicts all-cause mortality and whether this association is mediated or moderated by perceived control.
Method
A sample of middle-aged and older adults (N = 4,961) who participated in the second wave of the Midlife in the United States Survey provided data. Lifetime trauma was operationalized using the reported number of potentially traumatic experiences spanning childhood through adulthood. Both constraints and mastery dimensions of perceived control were examined. Cox regression models tested main effects and interactions of lifetime trauma with mastery and constraints predicting 10-year mortality risk.
Results
There was a significant main effect of lifetime trauma (b = .06, HR = 1.07, p = .032) and an interaction of trauma with mastery (b = −.08, p = .004). A greater number of traumatic experiences was associated with increased mortality risk at below-average levels of mastery (−1 SD: HR = 1.14, p < .001) but not at above-average levels (+1 SD: HR = 0.97, p = .48). This interaction persisted after further adjustment for health status, psychological, and behavioral covariates. An association of perceived constraints with elevated mortality risk (HR = 1.33, p = .008) was attenuated in a fully adjusted model (HR = 1.06, p = .26).
Conclusions
A strong sense of mastery may buffer elevated mortality risk associated with exposure to traumatic experiences. Findings extend evidence that mastery may foster resilience to the adverse health effects of traumatic stressors, whereas constraints may show stronger independent associations with health outcomes.
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Pubmed ID:29369676
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC6057153
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Funding:United States Department Health and Human Services; National Institutes of Health; National Institute on Aging/International ; U48 DP005004/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States ; P01 AG020166/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AG042582/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U19 AG051426/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States
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