A wealth of studies demonstrate the pathogenic influence of childhood stressors, particularly maltreatment on risk for depression9;45. In our study as well, individuals with a history of childhood physical abuse were at considerably increased odds of MDD. However, research indicates that anhedonia may be the “endophenotype” that connects childhood adversity to MDD. For instance, Pizzagalli and colleagues have demonstrated that both acute46 and perceived6 stress impact depression by impairing hedonic capacity.
