Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 10 of 29
Abuse in childhood and mental disorder in adult life
- Authors:
- MARSHALL William, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse Review, 17(2), March 2008, pp.133-138.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The aim of this study was to compare the intensity of abuse experienced during childhood by those suffering from mental health problems, those who were somatically ill (ie those suffering from dermatological illnesses) and healthy people. The results supported the hypothesis that the abuse of children results in a risk factor for occurrence of mental health problems in adult life.
Adult adjustment of survivors of institutional child abuse in Ireland
- Authors:
- CARR Alan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 34(7), July 2010, pp.477-489.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Institutional child abuse is perpetrated by adults working in, or peers within, institutions serving children in the community, such as residential care centres, schools, reformatories, churches, and recreational facilities. This study focused on the adjustment of adults who suffered institutional abuse in childhood within the context of Irish religiously-affiliated residential reformatories and industrial schools, aiming to document the rate of psychological disorders and difficulties. 247 adult survivors of institutional abuse were recruited from those who had attended the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (a statutory body established by the Irish Government in 2000), and were interviewed and completed versions of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. The study found that the prevalence of psychological disorders among participants was over 80%, with anxiety, mood and substance use disorders being the most prevalent diagnoses. The researchers concluded that there was an association between the experience of institutional abuse in childhood and the prevalence of adult mental health problems.
The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult mental health among undergraduates
- Authors:
- YOUNG Scott M., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22(10), October 2007, pp.1315-1331.
- Publisher:
- Sage
A large body of research has documented the harmful effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on adult mental health among females, but less work has examined this issue among males. This study examined whether gender moderated the relationship between CSA and adult mental health among a mixed-gender sample of 406 undergraduates. A Pearson chi-square test indicated that a significantly greater proportion of females (41.6%) than males (30.7%) reported a history of CSA. ANCOVAs tested whether gender, CSA status, and their interaction were related to adult mental health symptomatology as measured by Brief Symptom Inventory gender-normed t scores. Participants with a history of CSA reported significantly higher levels of global mental health problems, hostility, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism. The gender by CSA status interaction was not significant for any scale, indicating that the harmful effects of CSA on adult mental health did not vary by gender.
Psychological defense styles, childhood adversities and psychopathology in adulthood
- Authors:
- NICKEL R., EGLE U.T.
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 30(2), February 2006, pp.157-170.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The present study explores the link between reported sexual and/or physical abuse and psychological defence styles, as well as the association of both with psychological distress in adulthood. In two patient samples that differ in psychological distress and somatization, the authors examine whether the adversities reported and immature defence styles are associated with psychopathological symptoms. Two hundred and sixty six consecutive inpatients in the psychosomatic department and 109 consecutive inpatients who had been treated for low-back pain in the orthopaedic department of a German university hospital were examined. Psychological defence styles were assessed by a two-factor solution of the German modified adaptation of the Defense Mechanism Inventory (DMI), childhood adversities by a structured interview, psychological distress by the SCL-90-R, and somatization by the Screening for Somatoform Disorders (SOMS). Both samples demonstrated a significant link between immature defence styles and the extent of overall psychological distress as well as somatization. Reported sexual and/or physical abuse of patients in both patient samples was directly associated with somatization. It is concluded that recollections of sexual and/or physical abuse in childhood and immature defence styles have an association with psychopathology in adulthood. This finding suggests that immature defence styles may act, in part, as mediators between the adversities investigated and adult psychopathology.
Current issues in child sexual abuse, gender and health outcomes: shedding new lights to inform worldwide policy and practice
- Authors:
- COLLIN-VEZINA Delphine, GARRIDO Edward F.
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 63, 2016, p.245–248.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This paper introduces the articles in this special issue, which builds upon a growing literature on CSA, gender and outcomes that calls for action to further prevent, address and respond to cases of sexual violence. The calls for action highlighted in this series of papers are paramount to improving the well-being of children and youth, and to building communities and societies that can nolonger ignore the magnitude of the problem of CSA and the extent of its impact. (Edited publisher abstract)
Childhood trauma levels in individuals attending adult mental health services: an evaluation of clinical records and structured measurement of childhood trauma
- Authors:
- ROSSITER Amy, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 44, 2015, pp.36-45.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Despite an increased awareness regarding the prevalence and impact of childhood trauma, especially childhood sexual abuse (CSA), few studies examine the clinical reporting of such childhood experiences. This study compared the prevalence of childhood trauma recorded in individual's clinical notes to those ascertained with a structured validated questionnaire, examined which forms of childhood trauma were less likely to be reported to the treating mental health team and established which demographic or clinical factors were associated with reporting of childhood trauma. The prevalence of childhood trauma was ascertained using both the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and a lifetime retrospective clinical note review in 129 individuals attending a general adult mental health service. Individuals were evaluated for the presence of mental health disorders, impulsivity, symptom severity and disability. Using the CTQ, childhood trauma was noted in 77% of individuals and recorded in 38% of individual's clinical notes. The greatest differences between CTQ reporting and clinical note documentation were noted for emotional neglect (62% versus 13.2%), physical neglect (48.1% versus 5.4%) and CSA (24.8% versus 8.5%). Childhood trauma was associated with increased psychopathology and greater symptom severity, and was particularly prevalent for individuals with personality disorders. This study demonstrated high rates of childhood trauma amongst adults attending a general adult mental health service. Furthermore, we demonstrated high rates of either non-enquiry from mental health professionals and/or high rates of non-documentation of childhood trauma by mental health professionals. Given the disparity between reporting of childhood trauma in clinical notes and findings with the CTQ, the use of a standardised questionnaire for the assessment of childhood trauma should be considered when performing a comprehensive mental health history. (Edited publisher abstract)
Sexual molestation of males: associations with psychological disturbance
- Authors:
- KING Michael, COXELL Adrian, MEZEY Gillian
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 181, August 2002, pp.153-157.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Reports on a study to investigate whether sexual abuse in men is a significant predictor of psychological problems. A sample of men attending general practice took part in a computerised interview about sexual abuse as children or adults. Results found that men who reported child sexual abuse were more likely to report psychological disturbance. Men who reported sexual abuse in adulthood were more likely to have experienced a psychological disorder, but self-harm was the single most likely problem to occur. Men reporting 'consenting' sexual experiences when aged under 16 years were also more likely to report acts of self harm.
Childhood maltreatment among Norwegian drug abusers in treatment
- Authors:
- RAVNDAL Edle, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Social Welfare, 10(2), April 2001, pp.142-147.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article reports on the investigation of the correlation between the European Addiction Severity Index and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire among 102 Norwegian drug abusers admitted to treatment. The aim of the study is to explore how different types and levels of childhood trauma and social and psychiatric factors, medical situation and experienced family history are interrelated. Concludes that more research, and especially prospective studies, is needed to clarify the importance of parents' substance abuse and psychiatric problems in childhood/adolescence compared with trauma in the client's childhood and the client's current psychiatric status.
Childhood emotional abuse characteristics moderate associations with adult psychopathology and caregiving
- Authors:
- BERZENSKI Sara R., MADDEN Amber R., YATES Tuppett M.
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 87, 2019, pp.77-87.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
As the consequences of childhood maltreatment for adult adjustment become increasingly established in the literature, investigations of individual differences in these effects must evolve to examine more nuanced components of the maltreatment experience. This is particularly true for studies of childhood emotional abuse (CEA), which represents an umbrella label for numerous qualitatively different experiences. The present study examined the distinct contributions and potential interactive effects of CEA frequency and intensity on adult psychopathology, caregiving behaviours, and caregivers’ representations of the caregiver-child relationship in a diverse sample of 62 female caregivers of 4-year-old children, all of whom had experienced CEA. Frequency and intensity emerged as orthogonal characteristics of CEA with differential effects on adult adaptation. Higher CEA frequency predicted increased adult psychopathology, whereas higher CEA intensity predicted increased boundary dissolution in caregivers’ representations. Further, an interaction between frequency and intensity predicted negativity in caregivers’ representations, such that higher frequency of high intensity, but not low intensity, CEA predicted decreased negativity. Neither frequency nor intensity of CEA predicted observed caregiving behaviours. These results provide evidence that characteristics of CEA signal important differences in its experience, with differential implications for later adjustment. The specific differences in caregiving representations associated with high vs. low intensity CEA suggest that diverging mechanisms by which these experiences eventuate in adult outcomes should also be investigated. Above all, this study suggests that the measurement of CEA, and childhood maltreatment broadly, will benefit from enhanced attention to specific characteristics of individuals' experiences. (Edited publisher abstract)
Severe interpersonal violence against children in sport: associated mental health problems and quality of life in adulthood
- Authors:
- VERTOMMEN Tine, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 76, 2018, pp.459-468.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
In a recent large-scale prevalence study of interpersonal violence (IV) against child athletes in the Netherlands and Belgium we found that 9% of adult respondents who participated in organised sports before the age of 18 had experienced severe psychological violence, 8% severe physical violence, and 6% severe sexual violence in various sport settings. While the general literature has repeatedly shown that exposure to IV during childhood is associated with mental health problems in adulthood and to a lesser extent with reduced quality of life (QOL), these relationships have not been demonstrated in (former) athletes. Thus, the current study aims to assess the association of severe childhood IV in sport and adult wellbeing. Depression, anxiety, and somatisation were assessed in the same general population sample (N = 4043) using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) and QOL with the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-Brèf). The association between severe IV in sport and adult wellbeing was investigated using multiple linear regression while controlling for demographics, recent life events, and relatives’ psychological problems. The authors found severe sexual, physical, and psychological childhood IV in sport to be associated with more adult psychological distress and reduced QOL. Polyvictimisation shows the strongest correlation with poorer wellbeing and QOL. Recent life events, relatives’ psychological problems, marital status, and level of education were significant covariates in the psychological symptoms and QOL assessed. The authors hope that these new insights prompt sport administrators to implement broad spectrum child protection measures and raise the awareness of mental health professionals about the necessity to also screen for adverse childhood experiences in the sport context. (Edited publisher abstract)