Abused and neglected children are at a higher risk of developing depression in young adulthood. Researchers from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York followed 676 subjects with documented childhood abuse (physical or sexual) or neglect until around the age of 29. They did the same for a comparison group of 520 individuals who did not have histories of abuse and neglect. It was found that childhood abuse and neglect were associated with a 51 percent increased risk of current depression in young adulthood. Children who suffered physical abuse had a 59 percent increased risk for becoming depressed at some point in their lives, and those who suffered multiple types of abuse had a 75 percent increased risk of lifetime depression. Children who were sexually abused did not show an increased risk for depression, although they did show significantly more symptoms of depression symptoms than did non-abused controls. It's possible that the absence of ties between sexual abuse and depression may reflect the relatively small number of sexual abuse cases included in the study. The researchers also found that children who suffered abuse or neglect developed depression at a much earlier age than non-abused controls. The findings have major implications for policy and practice and reinforce the need for early detection and treatment of maltreated children.
Archives of General Psychiatry,
January 2007