Childhood adversity as a moderator of the relationship between emotional reactivity and the occurrence of anxiety and depression in a non-clinical group

Aim. The research is an attempt to confirm the role of emotional reactivity and childhood adversity in the development of anxiety and depression as well as to determine the scope of interaction between these two factors. Material and methods. 430 participants were included in the study. The intensity of emotional reactivity was determined using the FCZ-KT Questionnaire developed by Zawadzki and Strelau. The occurrence of childhood adversity was measured using the Hardt Childhood Questionnaire. The occurrence of anxiety and depression was measured using the structured interview WHO-CIDI 3.0. The relationship between variables was analysed using the logistic regression model. Results. A moderating role of the level of childhood adversity on the relationship of emotional reactivity and the occurrence of anxiety and depression was observed. In the group with high levels of adversity, no such relationship was observed for either of the two disorders. For low and medium levels of the moderator, different relationships for anxiety and depression were found. Conclusions. The obtained results are only partially explained within the temperamental risk factor model. A different pattern of relationships between the intensity of the temperamental trait and the occurrence of anxiety and depression depending on the amount of reported adversity may result from the cumulative effect of the negative consequences of this type of experience.