Exploring psychological abuse in childhood: II. Association with other abuse and adult clinical depression

Date

2002

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic

Abstract

A new retrospective interview assessment of childhood psychological abuse, an extension to the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) instrument, is described in a companion article (Moran, Bifulco, Ball, Jacobs, & Benaim, 2002). The purpose of the present article is to examine the relationship of childhood psychological abuse to other adverse childhood experiences and to major depression and suicidal behavior in adult life. Childhood experience and lifetime disorder were assessed retrospectively in a high-risk, community series of London women (n = 204). Psychological abuse from parents was examined in relation to seven other parental behaviors (neglect, antipathy, role reversal, discipline, supervision, physical abuse, and sexual abuse). Psychological abuse was significantly related to all seven behaviors. The highest associations found were to antipathy (gamma = .76), neglect (.73), and sexual abuse (.72). Factor analysis showed the existence of two factors reflecting care and control, with psychological abuse associated with both factors. Childhood psychological abuse was highly related to chronic or recurrent adult depression, with a “dose-response”. (Author Abstract)

Description

Keywords

child abuse, neglect, long term effects, emotional abuse, multi-type abuse, child sexual abuse, research, psychological effects

Citation

Bifulco, A., Moran, P. M., Baines, R., Bunn, A., & Stanford, K. (2002). Exploring psychological abuse in childhood: II. Association with other abuse and adult clinical depression. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 66(3), 241-258.

DOI