Childhood maltreatment is linked to larger preferred interpersonal distances towards friends and strangers across the globe

Shilat Haim-Nachum; Marie R. Sopp; Antonia M. Lüönd; Nimrah Afzal; Fredrik Åhs; Antje Kathrin Allgaier; Adrián Arévalo; Christian Asongwe; Rahel Bachem; Stefanie R. Balle; Habte Belete; Tilahun Belete Mossie; Azi Berzengi; Necip Capraz; Deniz Ceylan; Daniel Dukes; Aziz Essadek; Natalia E. Fares-Otero; Sarah L. Halligan; Alla Hemi; Naved Iqbal; Laura Jobson; Einat Levy-Gigi; Chantal Martin-Soelch; Tanja Michael; Misari Oe; Miranda Olff; Helena Örnkloo; Krithika Prakash; Sarah M. Quaatz; Vijaya Raghavan; Muniarajan Ramakrishnan; Dorota Reis; Vedat Şar; Ulrich Schnyder; Soraya Seedat; Ibtihal Najm Shihab; Susilkumar Vandhana; Dany Laure Wadji; Rachel Wamser; Reut Zabag; Georgina Spies; Monique C. Pfaltz

doi:10.1038/s41398-024-02980-2

Childhood maltreatment is linked to larger preferred interpersonal distances towards friends and strangers across the globe

Shilat Haim-Nachum, Marie R. Sopp, Antonia M. Lüönd, Nimrah Afzal, Fredrik Åhs, Antje Kathrin Allgaier, Adrián Arévalo, Christian Asongwe, Rahel Bachem, Stefanie R. Balle, Habte Belete, Tilahun Belete Mossie, Azi Berzengi, Necip Capraz, Deniz Ceylan, Daniel Dukes, Aziz Essadek, Natalia E. Fares-Otero, Sarah L. Halligan, Alla HemiNaved Iqbal, Laura Jobson, Einat Levy-Gigi, Chantal Martin-Soelch, Tanja Michael, Misari Oe, Miranda Olff, Helena Örnkloo, Krithika Prakash, Sarah M. Quaatz, Vijaya Raghavan, Muniarajan Ramakrishnan, Dorota Reis, Vedat Şar, Ulrich Schnyder, Soraya Seedat, Ibtihal Najm Shihab, Susilkumar Vandhana, Dany Laure Wadji, Rachel Wamser, Reut Zabag, Georgina Spies, Monique C. Pfaltz

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is thought to be associated with altered responses to social stimuli and interpersonal signals. However, limited evidence exists that CM is linked to larger comfortable interpersonal distance (CID) – the physical distance humans prefer towards others during social interactions. However, no previous study has investigated this association in a comprehensive sample, yielding sufficient statistical power. Moreover, preliminary findings are limited to the European region. Finally, it is unclear how CM affects CID towards different interaction partners, and whether CID is linked to social functioning and attachment. To address these outstanding issues, adults (N = 2986) from diverse cultures and socio-economic strata completed a reaction time task measuring CID towards an approaching stranger and friend. Higher CM was linked to a larger CID towards both friends and strangers. Moreover, insecure attachment and less social support were associated with larger CID. These findings demonstrate for the first time that CM affects CID across countries and cultures, highlighting the robustness of this association.

Original language	English
Article number	339
Journal	Translational Psychiatry
Volume	14
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-024-02980-2
State	Published - 23 Aug 2024
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Psychiatry and Mental health
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Biological Psychiatry

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/s41398-024-02980-2

Cite this

Haim-Nachum, S., Sopp, M. R., Lüönd, A. M., Afzal, N., Åhs, F., Allgaier, A. K., Arévalo, A., Asongwe, C., Bachem, R., Balle, S. R., Belete, H., Belete Mossie, T., Berzengi, A., Capraz, N., Ceylan, D., Dukes, D., Essadek, A., Fares-Otero, N. E., Halligan, S. L., ... Pfaltz, M. C. (2024). Childhood maltreatment is linked to larger preferred interpersonal distances towards friends and strangers across the globe. Translational Psychiatry, 14(1), Article 339. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-024-02980-2

@article{eac3141f8a9945609ff33ad1c448667b,

title = "Childhood maltreatment is linked to larger preferred interpersonal distances towards friends and strangers across the globe",

abstract = "Childhood maltreatment (CM) is thought to be associated with altered responses to social stimuli and interpersonal signals. However, limited evidence exists that CM is linked to larger comfortable interpersonal distance (CID) – the physical distance humans prefer towards others during social interactions. However, no previous study has investigated this association in a comprehensive sample, yielding sufficient statistical power. Moreover, preliminary findings are limited to the European region. Finally, it is unclear how CM affects CID towards different interaction partners, and whether CID is linked to social functioning and attachment. To address these outstanding issues, adults (N = 2986) from diverse cultures and socio-economic strata completed a reaction time task measuring CID towards an approaching stranger and friend. Higher CM was linked to a larger CID towards both friends and strangers. Moreover, insecure attachment and less social support were associated with larger CID. These findings demonstrate for the first time that CM affects CID across countries and cultures, highlighting the robustness of this association.",

author = "Shilat Haim-Nachum and Sopp, {Marie R.} and L{\"u}{\"o}nd, {Antonia M.} and Nimrah Afzal and Fredrik {\AA}hs and Allgaier, {Antje Kathrin} and Adri{\'a}n Ar{\'e}valo and Christian Asongwe and Rahel Bachem and Balle, {Stefanie R.} and Habte Belete and {Belete Mossie}, Tilahun and Azi Berzengi and Necip Capraz and Deniz Ceylan and Daniel Dukes and Aziz Essadek and Fares-Otero, {Natalia E.} and Halligan, {Sarah L.} and Alla Hemi and Naved Iqbal and Laura Jobson and Einat Levy-Gigi and Chantal Martin-Soelch and Tanja Michael and Misari Oe and Miranda Olff and Helena {\"O}rnkloo and Krithika Prakash and Quaatz, {Sarah M.} and Vijaya Raghavan and Muniarajan Ramakrishnan and Dorota Reis and Vedat {\c S}ar and Ulrich Schnyder and Soraya Seedat and Shihab, {Ibtihal Najm} and Susilkumar Vandhana and Wadji, {Dany Laure} and Rachel Wamser and Reut Zabag and Georgina Spies and Pfaltz, {Monique C.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2024.",

year = "2024",

month = aug,

day = "23",

doi = "10.1038/s41398-024-02980-2",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

journal = "Translational Psychiatry",

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Haim-Nachum, S, Sopp, MR, Lüönd, AM, Afzal, N, Åhs, F, Allgaier, AK, Arévalo, A, Asongwe, C, Bachem, R, Balle, SR, Belete, H, Belete Mossie, T, Berzengi, A, Capraz, N, Ceylan, D, Dukes, D, Essadek, A, Fares-Otero, NE, Halligan, SL, Hemi, A, Iqbal, N, Jobson, L, Levy-Gigi, E, Martin-Soelch, C, Michael, T, Oe, M, Olff, M, Örnkloo, H, Prakash, K, Quaatz, SM, Raghavan, V, Ramakrishnan, M, Reis, D, Şar, V, Schnyder, U, Seedat, S, Shihab, IN, Vandhana, S, Wadji, DL, Wamser, R, Zabag, R, Spies, G & Pfaltz, MC 2024, 'Childhood maltreatment is linked to larger preferred interpersonal distances towards friends and strangers across the globe', Translational Psychiatry, vol. 14, no. 1, 339. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-024-02980-2

TY - JOUR

T1 - Childhood maltreatment is linked to larger preferred interpersonal distances towards friends and strangers across the globe

AU - Haim-Nachum, Shilat

AU - Sopp, Marie R.

AU - Lüönd, Antonia M.

AU - Afzal, Nimrah

AU - Åhs, Fredrik

AU - Allgaier, Antje Kathrin

AU - Arévalo, Adrián

AU - Asongwe, Christian

AU - Bachem, Rahel

AU - Balle, Stefanie R.

AU - Belete, Habte

AU - Belete Mossie, Tilahun

AU - Berzengi, Azi

AU - Capraz, Necip

AU - Ceylan, Deniz

AU - Dukes, Daniel

AU - Essadek, Aziz

AU - Fares-Otero, Natalia E.

AU - Halligan, Sarah L.

AU - Hemi, Alla

AU - Iqbal, Naved

AU - Jobson, Laura

AU - Levy-Gigi, Einat

AU - Martin-Soelch, Chantal

AU - Michael, Tanja

AU - Oe, Misari

AU - Olff, Miranda

AU - Örnkloo, Helena

AU - Prakash, Krithika

AU - Quaatz, Sarah M.

AU - Raghavan, Vijaya

AU - Ramakrishnan, Muniarajan

AU - Reis, Dorota

AU - Şar, Vedat

AU - Schnyder, Ulrich

AU - Seedat, Soraya

AU - Shihab, Ibtihal Najm

AU - Vandhana, Susilkumar

AU - Wadji, Dany Laure

AU - Wamser, Rachel

AU - Zabag, Reut

AU - Spies, Georgina

AU - Pfaltz, Monique C.

PY - 2024/8/23

Y1 - 2024/8/23

N2 - Childhood maltreatment (CM) is thought to be associated with altered responses to social stimuli and interpersonal signals. However, limited evidence exists that CM is linked to larger comfortable interpersonal distance (CID) – the physical distance humans prefer towards others during social interactions. However, no previous study has investigated this association in a comprehensive sample, yielding sufficient statistical power. Moreover, preliminary findings are limited to the European region. Finally, it is unclear how CM affects CID towards different interaction partners, and whether CID is linked to social functioning and attachment. To address these outstanding issues, adults (N = 2986) from diverse cultures and socio-economic strata completed a reaction time task measuring CID towards an approaching stranger and friend. Higher CM was linked to a larger CID towards both friends and strangers. Moreover, insecure attachment and less social support were associated with larger CID. These findings demonstrate for the first time that CM affects CID across countries and cultures, highlighting the robustness of this association.

AB - Childhood maltreatment (CM) is thought to be associated with altered responses to social stimuli and interpersonal signals. However, limited evidence exists that CM is linked to larger comfortable interpersonal distance (CID) – the physical distance humans prefer towards others during social interactions. However, no previous study has investigated this association in a comprehensive sample, yielding sufficient statistical power. Moreover, preliminary findings are limited to the European region. Finally, it is unclear how CM affects CID towards different interaction partners, and whether CID is linked to social functioning and attachment. To address these outstanding issues, adults (N = 2986) from diverse cultures and socio-economic strata completed a reaction time task measuring CID towards an approaching stranger and friend. Higher CM was linked to a larger CID towards both friends and strangers. Moreover, insecure attachment and less social support were associated with larger CID. These findings demonstrate for the first time that CM affects CID across countries and cultures, highlighting the robustness of this association.

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U2 - 10.1038/s41398-024-02980-2

DO - 10.1038/s41398-024-02980-2

M3 - Article

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AN - SCOPUS:85201817681

SN - 2158-3188

VL - 14

JO - Translational Psychiatry

JF - Translational Psychiatry

IS - 1

M1 - 339

ER -

Childhood maltreatment is linked to larger preferred interpersonal distances towards friends and strangers across the globe

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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