Remembering child abuse has greater mental health impact than the abuse itself

New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London and City University New York has found that the way childhood abuse and/or neglect is remembered and processed has a greater impact on later mental health than the experience itself.

Readers should be aware that the content of this piece may prove upsetting or distressing. A list of support services has been provided at the conclusion of the piece, and readers should consider their own state of wellbeing prior to continuing. 

A longitudinal study of over 1,000 participants aged up to 40 years investigated how experiences of childhood abuse and/or neglect (maltreatment) impact the development of emotional disorders in adulthood.

Published in journal JAMA Psychiatry researchers found that young adults who retrospectively self-reported experiences of childhood maltreatment before the age of 12 years had a greater number of depressive or anxiety episodes over the subsequent decade than those who did not remember maltreatment, even if they had an official court record.

In contrast, participants who had an official record of childhood maltreatment, but no retrospective recall of the experience, had a similar number of emotional disorder episodes in adulthood as those with no experience of maltreatment.

Even in the absence of documented evidence, the researchers assert, clinicians can use patients’ self-reported experiences of abuse and neglect to identify those at risk of developing mental health difficulties and provide early interventions.

Further analysis revealed that the association between self-reported experiences of childhood maltreatment and a greater number of subsequent anxiety and depression episodes was partly explained by participants’ current and past mental health, which was reported during their first interview. The authors explain that this could be because emotional disorders can negatively bias memories, making participants’ more likely to recall negative events.

For the full study please see here: ‘Associations Between Objective and Subjective Experiences of Childhood Maltreatment and the Course of Emotional Disorders in Adulthood’

National services and helplines

Beyond Blue
Beyond Blue has an online youth mental health service. It has online chat, forums and phone counselling. Phone 1300 224 636, 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Blue Knot
This is a support service for adult survivors of childhood trauma and abuse, parents, partners, family and friends. Phone 1300 657 380, 9 am-5 pm, 7 days a week.

Help Wanted
This is an online course for young people who are sexually attracted to younger children and want to live a safe, healthy, non-offending life.

Kids Helpline
Kids Helpline is a free, confidential phone counselling service for young people aged 5-25 years. It also offers webchat and email counselling. Phone 1800 551 800, 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Lifeline
Lifeline is a crisis support and suicide prevention service for people experiencing emotional distress. It offers counselling by phone, online chat and text message. Phone 131 114, 24 hours, 7 days a week.

National Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Counselling Service
1800RESPECT is a counselling, information and referral service for anyone who has been affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse. Phone 1800RESPECT or 1800 737 732, 24 hours, 7 days a week.