Relationships between childhood maltreatment, impairment in executive functions and disruptive behavior disorders in a community sample of children

Evidence points to an independent relationship among childhood maltreatment, impairments in executive functions (EF) and disruptive behavior disorders (DBD). However, it is still not fully understood how these three factors are interrelated. This study evaluated the association between childhood maltreatment and DBD testing the role of EF performance as a mediator or moderator. We studied a probabilistic school-based sample of 2016 children from 6 to 12 years. Mental disorders were assessed using the Development and Well-Being Assessment with parents and children. Children answered questions about exposure to child maltreatment and were evaluated with a set of cognitive tasks addressing inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility and planning. Childhood maltreatment was strongly associated with DBD (OR = 7.7, CI 95% 4.5–12.9). No association was found between childhood maltreatment and EF performance. Children with DBD showed worse performance in cognitive flexibility, which was not identified as a mediator or moderator of the association between childhood maltreatment and DBD. Results indicate that the association between maltreatment and disruptive behavior occurs regardless of performance in executive function in a community sample. Future studies are essential to confirm these findings and elucidate the cognitive mechanisms involved in this association.