Child maltreatment and neglect in the United Arab Emirates and relationship with low self-esteem and symptoms of depression
Date
2021
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
International Review of Psychiatry
Abstract
Objectives: To our knowledge, this study is the first in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to investigate the prevalence of child maltreatment in relation to depressive symptoms and self-esteem.
Study design: Exposure to physical maltreatment, emotional abuse and neglect was evaluated
in 518 adolescents (86% response rate) randomly selected from schools in Al Ain in the Emirate
of Abu Dhabi. The Rosenberg self-esteem scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to
measure self-esteem and depressive symptoms by using multivariate logistic regression analyses.
Results: The mean age of study participants was 14.3 years. Emotional abuse was the most frequent form of maltreatment (33.9%), physical abuse (12.6%) and neglect (12.1%) followed. Male
sex was a positive predictor of physical abuse (OR ¼ 2.12; 95% CI 1.18–3.77), whilst higher
maternal level of education was protective (OR ¼ 0.40; 95% CI 0.19–0.86). Daily screen time (OR
¼ 2.77; 95% CI 1.17–6.56) and tobacco smoking (OR ¼ 1.86; 95% CI 1.09–3.18) positively predicted emotional abuse. Emotionally maltreated and neglected participants were less likely to
report high level of self-esteem and more likely to report symptoms of depression.
Conclusions: Child maltreatment in the UAE is of a similar magnitude to what reported in other
countries around the world and significantly associated with low self-esteem and depressive symptoms.
Description
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Keywords
International Resources, United Arab Emirates, treatment, mental health, child maltreatment, research
Citation
Shah, S. M., Nowshad, G., Dhaheri, F. A., Al-Shamsi, M. H., Al-Ketbi, A. M., Galadari, A., ... & Arnone, D. (2021). Child maltreatment and neglect in the United Arab Emirates and relationship with low self-esteem and symptoms of depression. International Review of Psychiatry, 1-11.