Impact Of Childhood Emotional Abuse Research Articles

Prevalence, Correlates and Subjective Experience of Emotional Abuse in Adolescents Presenting to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services: A Mixed Methods Study

Introduction: The burden and impact of childhood emotional abuse (CEA) among children and adolescents utilizing psychiatry services is a less studied area, especially in the Indian context. This study aims to study the prevalence and correlates of CEA in adolescents attending psychiatry services and to understand the subjective experience of emotional abuse (EA) in this population. Methods: Adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years attending child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) services were recruited for the study. The prevalence of CEA was assessed using ICAST-C (ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool), temperament was assessed using the Malhotra Temperament Scale, and psychosocial adversities were assessed with the Parent Interview Schedule (PIS). From those reporting CEA, a few of them were interviewed to get narratives of subjective experiences of CEA, and this was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: In total, 81 adolescents were recruited for the study, and among them, 82.7% ( n = 67) reported at least 1 form of EA in the last year, and 93.8% ( n = 76) of them reported a lifetime history of at least 1 form of EA. The frequency of other psychosocial adversities like abnormal intrafamilial relationships ( n = 33; 40.7%) and inadequate or distorted intrafamilial communications ( n = 49; 60.5%) was high in this sample. There was a significant association between the presence of EA in the last year and physical abuse ( p = .00) and neglect ( p = .01) in the last year. Narratives for qualitative analysis were collected from 21 adolescents. The most common themes in the context of CEA were related to academics ( n = 10) and emotional and behavioral problems in the child ( n = 7). Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of EA among adolescents attending CAP services. There is a high co-occurrence of other forms of abuse and other psychosocial adversities with EA. As adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) pose a high risk for future physical and mental health sequelae, this needs to be identified early and intervened with.

The Impact of Childhood Emotional Abuse on Adolescents’ Subjective Happiness: the Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence

Subjective happiness has been considered a key indicator of adolescents’ healthy development. The present study aimed at identifying the impact of childhood emotional abuse on adolescents’ subjective happiness and the possible role of emotional intelligence as a mediating variable. Using convenience sampling, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 9 secondary schools in Hong Kong, China. Participants included a total of 1710 grade 8 to grade 9 secondary school students. The mean age was 13.6, and 61.2% were boys. Measures included child abuse and trauma, emotional intelligence, and subjective happiness. The results showed that childhood emotional abuse in adolescents’ childhood is a significant risk factor for subjective happiness. Emotional intelligence has a partial mediation effect on the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and subjective happiness. It is noteworthy that parenting practices in childhood have a significant impact on children’s happiness even after a period of time. It is suggested that students’ emotional intelligence be enhanced to increase their subjective happiness. Although the conventional parenting style may be rooted in Chinese culture, a paradigm shift in parenting seems to be needed for Chinese parents. Efforts should be made to promote appropriate parenting methods and emotional intelligence in Chinese societies. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

The Impact of Childhood Emotional Abuse on Pain Interference Among People with Chronic Pain who Inject Drugs in Vancouver, Canada.

High levels of chronic pain interference with daily activities are known to negatively impact quality of life. Although mental health conditions have been associated with pain interference and child abuse, research has been mixed regarding it acting as a mediator, with even less known among people who inject drugs. Therefore, we sought to explore childhood emotional abuse and pain interference among this population. Data were derived from two prospective cohort studies of community-recruited people who inject drugs in Vancouver, Canada, between June 2014 and November 2016. We employed multivariable generalized estimating equations to examine the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and pain interference in the past six months. We also conducted a mediation analysis to examine whether mental health disorder diagnoses mediated this association. Among 822 eligible participants, 341 (41.5%) reported childhood emotional abuse. In a multivariable analysis, experiencing childhood emotional abuse remained independently associated with pain interference (adjusted odds ratio = 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05-1.70) after adjusting for a range of confounders. Results from the mediation analysis yielded a statistically significant positive average causal mediation effect (β = 0.01, 95% CI = 0.001-0.02). Approximately 12% of the effect was due to mediation. Our results demonstrate among people who inject drugs with chronic pain, those who experienced childhood emotional abuse were more likely to report pain interference, which was partially mediated by mental health disorder diagnosis history. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating screening and appropriate treatment for mental illness into chronic pain treatment.

“My Reality is Just Different From Yours, That Doesn’t Mean I’m Crazy.” Exploring the Impact of Childhood Emotional Abuse on Adult Emotional Adjustment

ABSTRACTChildhood emotional abuse (CEA) is a pervasive set of destructive behaviors that has negative effects lasting into adulthood. In order to examine these negative effects, it is important to determine the links between CEA and adult adjustment, i.e., how various forms of abuse are dealt with by the recipients, and how effective different coping strategies are. A small-scale online survey was developed that included questions designed to elicit both qualitative and quantitative data, to facilitate the collection of rich and useful data, while maintaining participant anonymity. The survey was disseminated via social media and a number of charitable organizations working with adult victims of child abuse. Using qualitative and quantitative analytical procedures, research findings suggested how childhood experiences of emotional abuse impact on adulthood. The findings also exposed a potentially effective coping strategy that could be incorporated into practice settings. The identified coping strategy, reading was reported as effective when employed in both childhood and adulthood and may help clients cope with abusive experiences.

An Examination of the Impact of Childhood Emotional Abuse and Gender on Cannabis Use Trajectories among Community Youth.

Cannabis is the most frequently used illicit substance among youth, with rates of cannabis use escalating across adolescence. One potential factor predicting cannabis use among youth is childhood emotional abuse (CEA), which has been associated with substance use behaviors more broadly. Although CEA may be associated with increased cannabis use in general, it is likely that sex may have an impact on these relations, given that girls are more likely to use substances following abuse experiences than boys. The purpose of the current study as to examine longitudinal relations between CEA and gender on cannabis use during adolescence. The current study included a sample of 206 9th grade community youth (120 boys; Mage = 14.10, 55% European-American) followed annually through the 12th grade. CEA was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and cannabis use was assessed with the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. A latent growth model was utilized to examine cannabis use trajectories from grades 9-12. Within our initial model, elevated baseline use was associated with male gender and more severe CEA. Significant predictors of increases in cannabis use over time included elevated baseline alcohol use and the interaction between gender and CEA, such that girls with the most severe CEA had the greatest increases in cannabis use over time. These results suggest the importance of addressing CEA among adolescent girls. Given that cannabis use during adolescence is associated with a host of negative outcomes, targeted efforts to reduce use, through prevention and intervention efforts, is critical.

A longitudinal examination of the impact of childhood emotional abuse on cannabis use trajectories among community youth

A longitudinal examination of the impact of childhood emotional abuse on cannabis use trajectories among community youth

Impact of childhood emotional abuse on neocortical neurometabolites and complex emotional processing in patients with generalized anxiety disorder

BackgroundThe rostral prefrontal cortex (RPFC) is involved in reflective thought processes such as self-knowledge and person perception. We hypothesized that childhood emotional abuse, which is disruptive of emotional regulation, would differentially impact neurometabolite concentrations of the RPFC, and related neocortical areas, in adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) versus healthy controls. MethodsGAD patients (n=16; females=11) and medically healthy volunteers (n=16; F=10) were assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), specifically the emotional abuse category. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging examined 3 regions of interest (ROI) from the most rostral slice from the Duyn et al. (1993) multivoxel imaging modality: rostral prefrontal cortex (BA 10,9), premotor cortex (BA 6,8) and secondary somatosensory and associated parietal cortex (BA 5,7). Metabolites included N-acetyl-aspartate, creatine, and choline. ResultsGAD patients reported higher emotional abuse scores versus controls. An omnibus general linear model including 3 ROI, 3 metabolites, and laterality as dependent variables revealed a significant diagnosis by CTQ emotional abuse score interactive effect. In controls, all 3 ROI for all 3 metabolites on both sides demonstrated a significant inverse relationship with emotional abuse scores; none were significant in GAD patients. LimitationsA major limitation is the uneven distribution of emotional abuse scores between the controls and GAD patients, with GAD patients reporting higher scores. ConclusionUnlike controls, GAD patients appear compromised in forming a molecular representation reflective of magnitude of childhood emotional abuse. The neurometabolites in GAD patients appear non-aligned to childhood emotional abuse, suggesting potential consequences for normative “theory of mind” processes and emotional function in certain anxiety disorders.

Depressive and Anxious Symptomatology Moderate the Relationship Between Childhood Emotional Abuse Severity and Attentional Bias on the Modified Stroop Task

Research has demonstrated that the impact of childhood abuse often outlasts the initial abuse experiences, paving the way for a myriad of psychological difficulties in adulthood. Attentional bias might serve as a pathway from childhood abuse to negative outcomes associated with such experiences. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the impact of childhood emotional abuse (CEA) experiences on the presence of attentional bias in a sample of college women by comparing performance on a modified Stroop task between CEA survivors (n = 28) and a nonabused control group (n = 31). Results suggest that for CEA survivors, psychological symptoms moderated the relationship between CEA severity and attentional bias to specific word types. Results underscore the importance in continued exploration of the relationship among childhood emotional abuse, attentional bias, and concurrent psychopathology. Results also suggest that modification of attentional biases, via cognitive bias modification procedures, could help mitigate the impact of childhood abuse experiences on psychological well-being in adult survivors.

The impact of childhood emotional abuse and experiential avoidance on maladaptive problem solving and intimate partner violence.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the joint influences of experiential avoidance and social problem solving on the link between childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and intimate partner violence (IPV). Experiential avoidance following CEA may interfere with a person’s ability to effectively problem solve in social situations, increasing risk for conflict and interpersonal violence. As part of a larger study, 232 women recruited from the community completed measures assessing childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, experiential avoidance, maladaptive social problem solving, and IPV perpetration and victimization. Final trimmed models indicated that CEA was indirectly associated with IPV victimization and perpetration via experiential avoidance and Negative Problem Orientation (NPO) and Impulsivity/Carelessness Style (ICS) social problem solving strategies. Though CEA was related to an Avoidance Style (AS) social problem solving strategy, this strategy was not significantly associated with IPV victimization or perpetration. Experiential avoidance had both a direct and indirect effect, via NPO and ICS social problem solving, on IPV victimization and perpetration. Findings suggest that CEA may lead some women to avoid unwanted internal experiences, which may adversely impact their ability to effectively problem solve in social situations and increase IPV risk.

The impact of childhood emotional abuse on violence among people who inject drugs

Childhood emotional abuse is a known risk factor for various poor social and health outcomes. While people who inject drugs (IDU) report high levels of violence, in addition to high rates of childhood maltreatment, the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and later life violence within this population has not been examined. Cross-sectional data were derived from an open prospective cohort of IDU in Vancouver, Canada. Childhood emotional abuse was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. We used multivariate logistic regression to examine potential associations between childhood emotional abuse and being a recent victim or perpetrator of violence. Between December 2005 and May 2013, 1437 IDU were eligible for inclusion in this analysis, including 465 (32.4%) women. In total, 689 (48.0%) reported moderate to severe history of childhood emotional abuse, whereas 333 (23.2%) reported being a recent victim of violence and 173 (12.0%) reported being a recent perpetrator of violence. In multivariate analysis, being a victim of violence (adjusted odds ratio = 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.15-1.94) and being a perpetrator of violence (adjusted odds ratio = 1.58, 95% confidence interval 1.12-2.24) remained independently associated with childhood emotional abuse. We found high rates of childhood emotional abuse and subsequent adult violence among this sample of IDU. Emotional abuse was associated with both victimisation and perpetration of violence. These findings highlight the need for policies and programmes that address both child abuse and historical emotional abuse among adult IDU.

Deficits in emotion regulation mediate the relationship between childhood abuse and later eating disorder symptoms

The present study examined the relationship of child maltreatment to both emotion dysregulation and subsequent eating pathology. In an effort to extend previous research, the authors examined the unique impact of childhood emotional abuse (CEA) on emotion dysregulation and eating disorder (ED) symptoms while controlling for the effects of sexual and physical abuse. Structural equation modeling was utilized to simultaneously examine the effects of all three abuse types on multiple dependent variables as well as examine whether deficits in emotion regulation mediated the relationship between abuse and eating pathology. Results from a survey of 1,254 female college students revealed significant paths from abuse subtypes to specific eating disorder symptoms, with CEA evidencing the strongest association with ED symptoms. Additionally, emotion dysregulation was positively associated with ED symptoms, and mediated the effects of emotional abuse on symptoms. Findings support previous research on the enduring effects of emotional abuse as well as highlight the importance of the assessment of CEA in the treatment of ED symptoms.

The linkages among childhood maltreatment, adolescent mental health, and self-compassion in child welfare adolescents

Objectives Childhood maltreatment is a robust risk factor for poor physical and mental health. Child welfare youths represent a high-risk group, given the greater likelihood of severe or multiple types of maltreatment. This study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment and self-compassion – a concept of positive acceptance of self. While not applied previously to a child welfare sample, self-compassion may be of value in understanding impairment among maltreatment victims. This may be most pertinent in adolescence and young adulthood, when self-identity is a focal developmental process. Methods The present sample was drawn from the Maltreatment and Adolescent Pathways (MAP) Longitudinal Study, which followed randomly selected adolescents receiving child protection services across two years within an urban catchment area. Child maltreatment was assessed at baseline using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire ( Bernstein et al., 1994, 2003). Mental health, substance and alcohol use problems, suicide attempt, and self-compassion were assessed at the two-year follow-up point. There were 117 youths, aged 16–20 years (45.3% males) who completed the self-compassion scale ( Neff, 2003). Bivariate correlations were computed between adolescent self-compassion and each form of self-reported maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect). Finally, hierarchical, stepwise regression was used to examine unique contributions of child maltreatment subtypes in predicting adolescent self-compassion, as well as maltreatment-related impairment. Results Higher childhood emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and physical abuse were associated with lower self-compassion. Controlling for age and gender, emotional abuse was significantly associated with reduced self-compassion, even when the effects of emotional neglect and physical abuse were taken into account. Youths with low self-compassion were more likely to have psychological distress, problem alcohol use, and report a serious suicide attempt, as compared with those with high self-compassion. A number of maltreatment-related areas of impairment, identified by screening instruments, were significantly associated with lower self-compassion. Conclusion Self-compassion may be a fruitful aspect of research to pursue in an effort to better understand the impact of childhood emotional abuse on adolescent functioning, particularly considering the under-researched group of those receiving child protective services.

The Impact of Emotional Abuse on Psychological Distress among Child Protective Services-Involved Adolescents with Borderline-to-Mild Intellectual Disability

Childhood maltreatment is a robust contributing factor to mental health problems in adolescents. The current study examines the impact of childhood emotional abuse on adolescent psychological distress in 48 youths with borderline-to-mild intellectual disability, as compared to 117 peers with average intellectual functioning. Both emotional abuse and intellectual functioning predicted the severity of youth psychological distress. Childhood emotional abuse has an impact on adolescent distress, and maltreated child welfare-involved youth with lower IQ levels may be more vulnerable to distress than youth with average IQ. This raises a question regarding the detection of subtle manifestations of intellectual disability and the need to attend to mental health within this subpopulation receiving child welfare services.

Lifetime PTSD and quality of life among alcohol-dependent men: Impact of childhood emotional abuse and dissociation

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dissociation and a history of childhood trauma on quality of life (QoL) among men with alcohol dependency. A consecutive series of alcohol-dependent men ( N = 156) admitted to an inpatient treatment unit were screened using the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test, the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale, the Dissociative Experiences Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. QoL was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36-item health survey. Fifty (32.1%) patients had lifetime diagnosis of PTSD. Besides problems related to severity of alcohol use, the lifetime PTSD group was impaired on several physical and mental components of QoL. While the lifetime PTSD group and remaining patients did not differ on reports of childhood trauma and dissociation, in lifetime PTSD group, dissociative patients had higher scores of childhood emotional abuse than those of the non-dissociative patients. In multivariate covariance analysis, both dissociation and lifetime PTSD predicted impairment in physical functioning, general health, vitality, and mental health components of QoL. Among alcohol-dependent men with lifetime PTSD, a history of childhood emotional abuse contributes to impairment of QoL through its relationship with dissociation.

Drug Risk: A Cross-Sectional Exploration of the Influence of Family-of-Origin and Current Situational Circumstances

The main objective of this paper is to investigate potential predictors of drug risk among a community-based sample of individuals who are exposed to illicit drugs. The four domains of interest are individual socio-demographic and social-psychological attributes, current situational circumstances and family-of-origin characteristics. Interviews were conducted with 242 individuals who were recruited in Atlanta, Georgia. Initial descriptive analyses were followed by multivariate analyses. The final model predicted 60% of the variance in drug risk. Current situational circumstances were statistically significant regarding drug risk. Family-of-origin characteristics also were significant, even when entered into the predictive model after current situational circumstances. In addition to individual social-psychological characteristics such as depression and self-esteem, the impact of childhood emotional abuse is noted. The findings indicate a need for considering proximal as well as more distal influences on drug risk behavior when designing drug use prevention and intervention programs.

The contribution of childhood emotional abuse to teen dating violence among child protective services-involved youth

Objective For child protective services (CPS) youth who may have experienced more than one form of maltreatment, the unique contribution of emotional abuse may be over-looked when other forms are more salient and more clearly outside of accepted social norms for parenting. This study considers the unique predictive value of childhood emotional abuse for understanding adolescent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and dating violence. Further, PTSD symptomatology is assessed as an explanatory bridge in the emotional abuse—teen dating violence link. Methods A random sample of 402 youth from the active caseload of a large urban CPS catchment area participated as part of a larger longitudinal study on adolescent health behaviors. Mid-adolescent youth across types of CPS status were targeted. CPS youth reported on lifetime maltreatment experiences, PTSD symptomatology, and past year dating experiences, using published scales. Results Over 85% of CPS youth had begun dating. For dating youth, some level of dating violence was common: over half of females (63–67%) and nearly half of males (44–49%). Taking into account other forms of maltreatment, emotional abuse emerged as a significant predictor of both PTSD symptomatology and dating violence among males and females. PTSD symptomatology was a significant mediator of the male emotional abuse-perpetration and the female emotional/physical abuse-victimization links, indicating a gendered patterning to findings. Conclusions These results indicate that: (1) CPS youth are a high priority group for dating violence and PTSD-linked intervention; and (2) CPS youth continue to experience the unique negative impact of childhood emotional abuse in their adolescent adjustment. All CPS children should be evaluated for emotional abuse incurred, and appropriate intervention attention be given as to how it specifically impacts on the child's approach to relating to themselves and to others. Practice implications The present study directs practice implications in regards to: (1) the problem of teen dating violence, (2) the salience of childhood emotional abuse; and (3) the importance of targeting PTSD symptomatolgy among CPS youth. A substantial number of CPS youth report early engagement in violent romantic relationships and require support towards attaining the non-coercive relationship experiences of their non-CPS-involved age mates. The topic of dating, healthy dating relationships, and dating violence may need to be part of the regular casework, with a view towards supporting youths’ conceptualization of and skill set for healthy, close relationships. Further, this knowledge needs to be translated to foster parents and group home staff. With regard to the impact of childhood emotional abuse, CPS workers need to be sensitive to its potential for long-term, unique impact impairing relationship development. Emotional abuse is (a) unique among genders (i.e., for females, it clusters with physical abuse) and (b) uniquely predictive of PTSD symptoms and dating violence. Finally, as is consistent with theory and biopsychosocial evidence, PTSD symptomatology is a key causal candidate for understanding maltreatment-related impairment. Attention to targeting PTSD symptoms may be preventative for dating violence; attention to targeting emotional abuse experiences may be preventative for PTSD symptoms. CPS youth are an important population to involve in research, as their inclusion adds to the evidence-base to achieve evidence-informed practice and policy within child welfare.

The Impact of Childhood Emotional Abuse: An Extension of the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale

Objective: There are few well-validated measures of childhood emotional abuse. This study explored the potential of the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale CATS; ( Sanders and Becker-Lausen 1995) to yield such a measure. The CATS was originally devised to measure the extent of adverse sexual, physical and neglectful experiences, but contains items that also reflect the construct of emotional abuse. Method: A sample of 236 nonclinical women completed the CATS and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. A fourth subscale was drawn from the existing CATS items, reflecting reported emotional abuse during childhood. Results: The concurrent validity and internal consistency of this new subscale were tested, and were found to be at an acceptable level. Indeed, there was some indication that the new childhood emotional abuse subscale played a more central role in anxiety and depression than did the original three subscales. Conclusions: It is recommended that this revised version of the CATS should be used in future research and clinical practice, in order that the multidimensional nature of abuse can be better understood.