https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/941618
News Release 1-Feb-2022
Peer-Reviewed Publication
BMJ
Reluctance or refusal to get jabbed against COVID-19 infection (vaccine hesitancy), may be linked to traumatic events in childhood, such as neglect, domestic violence or substance misuse in the family home, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open.
Vaccine hesitancy was 3 times higher among people who had experienced 4 or more types of trauma as a child than it was among those who hadn’t experienced any, the findings show.
Childhood adversity is strongly linked to poor mental health. And some studies have suggested that mistreatment as a child may undermine subsequent trust, including in health and other public services.
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The survey asked about 9 types of childhood trauma before the age of 18: physical, verbal, and sexual abuse; parental separation; exposure to domestic violence; and living with a household member with mental illness, alcohol and/or drug misuse, or who was in prison.
And it collected personal details and experiences of long term health conditions, levels of trust in health service information on COVID-19, and attitudes towards COVID-19 restrictions and vaccination.
Around half (52%) of the respondents said that they hadn’t experienced any childhood trauma. But around 1 in 5 said they had experienced 1 type; around 1 in 6 (17%) reported 2-3; and 1 in 10 (10%) reported 4 or more.
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Increasing numbers of childhood traumas were independently associated with low levels of trust in NHS COVID-19 information, feeling that government restrictions were unfair, and wanting mandatory face coverings to be ditched.
Support for jettisoning mandatory face coverings was 4 times as high among those who had experienced 4 or more types of childhood trauma as it was among those who said they hadn’t experienced any. Younger age, male gender, and no history of long term conditions were also significantly associated with this stance.
Experience of 4 or more types of childhood trauma was also associated with a desire to end social distancing.
The likelihood of admitting to flouting COVID-19 restrictions occasionally rose in tandem with the childhood trauma count.
It was around twice as high among those who had experienced 4 or more types of trauma as it was among those who hadn’t experienced any—38% vs 21%---after accounting for associations with sociodemographic factors and previous COVID-19 infection or a history of long term conditions.
Vaccine hesitancy was also 3 times higher among those with a childhood trauma count of 4 or more and higher in younger age groups.
Based on all their findings, the researchers estimated the likely rates of vaccine hesitancy according to childhood trauma and age: these ranged from around 3.5% among those aged 70 and above with no experience of childhood adversity, to 38% among 18–29 year olds who had experienced 4 or more types of childhood trauma.
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tags: child abuse,
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