Abstract
PurposeGrowing evidence suggests that prospective informant-reports and retrospective self-reports of childhood maltreatment may be differentially associated with adult psychopathology. However, it remains unknown how associations for these two maltreatment reporting types compare when considering functional outcomes. The present study compared associations between childhood maltreatment and functional outcomes at age 18 years using these two methods.MethodsWe used data from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative birth cohort of 2232 children born in England and Wales in 1994–1995. Maltreatment prior to age 12 years was assessed prospectively (during multiple home visits between birth and age of 12 years based on interviews with caregivers, researcher observations, and information from practitioners where child protection referrals were made) and retrospectively (at age 18 via self-report on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire). Nine functional outcomes were measured at age 18, forming two variables capturing: (i) psychosocial and (ii) vocational disadvantage.ResultsAmong the 2054 participants with available data, childhood maltreatment was associated with poorer functional outcomes regardless of whether this was reported only prospectively, only retrospectively, or both. Stronger associations with psychosocial disadvantage arose in the context of retrospective recall by participants (OR = 8.25, 95% CI 4.93–13.82) than prospective reports by informants (OR = 2.03, 95% CI 1.36–3.04) of maltreatment. Conversely, associations with vocational disadvantage were comparable for both prospective informant-reports (OR = 2.19, 95% CI 1.42–3.38) and retrospective self-reports (OR = 1.93, 95% CI 1.33–2.81) of maltreatment.ConclusionResults highlight the importance of considering the maltreatment report type used when interpreting the functional consequences of childhood maltreatment.
Highlights
Exposure to child maltreatment has consistently been associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes, including functional impairment
The odds of having poor functional outcomes at age 18 were elevated among individuals with reports of childhood maltreatment regardless of whether maltreatment was reported prospectively or retrospectively
The odds associated with psychosocial disadvantage were more than four times greater for retrospective self-reports compared to prospective informant-reports of any maltreatment
Summary
Exposure to child maltreatment (including neglect, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse) has consistently been associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes, including functional impairment. Extended author information available on the last page of the article suggests maltreated children have an elevated risk for being ‘Not in Employment, Education, or Training’ (NEET) [1] and lower levels of educational attainment [2]. The relationship between childhood maltreatment and functional impairment appears to occur in a dose–response manner such that exposure to more forms of maltreatment confers greater risk of poor adult functioning [4, 10]. Though there is considerable evidence of the longterm adverse consequences associated with childhood
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