Childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) is a risk factor for the pathogenesis of depressive disorders. However, it is not clear whether CEM is more strongly related to specific symptoms of depression and whether specific traits or cognitive states may mediate the association between CEM and depressive symptoms. In our cross-sectional study, including 72 patients with a current depressive episode, we investigated if CEM is specifically related to cognitive symptoms of depression. In addition, we evaluated whether CEM also influences the extent of rumination and hopelessness in adult depression. Using multiple regression analyses, we tested if CEM and rumination could predict cognitive symptoms and hopelessness. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to examine if rumination mediates the relationship between CEM and cognitive symptoms. Correlational analyses revealed that CEM was related to cognitive symptoms, rumination, and hopelessness. The regression analyses showed that only rumination was a significant predictor for cognitive symptoms and hopelessness, whereas CEM could not significantly predict the two constructs. SEM revealed that the association between CEM and cognitive symptoms in adult depression was mediated by rumination. Our results thereby suggest that CEM is a risk factor particularly for the development of cognitive symptoms as well as rumination and hopelessness in adult depression. However, the influence on cognitive symptomatology seems to be indirectly regulated by rumination. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of processes that promote depression, as well as provide guidance for more targeted treatment options.
