Search

The current systematic review aims to understand the relationship between childhood maltreatment, emotional dysregulation and subsequent depression in adulthood. Existing research was identified following a search conducted on relevant scientific databases: Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid MEDLINE(R) (1946 to May 2019), Psycinfo (1806 to May 2019), PsycArticles and EMBASE (1974 to May 2019). Further hand searches were also conducted within relevant journals and publications identified from retrieved articles. Publications for the current systematic review were selected in accordance with published PRISMA checklist criteria. Identified publications were then appraised utilising the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies measure. Twelve of the thirteen identified studies reported that emotional dysregulation mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and subsequent depression in adulthood. Furthermore, there is some evidence to suggest that emotional abuse and neglect may be associated with the highest likelihood of emotional dysregulation, increasing the risk of depression in adulthood. Nevertheless, significant methodological limitations were observed and as such, recommendations for future research are presented.