Childhood physical maltreatment with physical injuries is associated with higher adult psychopathology symptoms
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Data
2018
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Editora
Elsevier
Resumo
Background: Previous research has neglected the distinction between childhood physical maltreatment
(CPM) behaviors and the physical sequelae resulting from CPM. Prior empirical work has combined CPM
behaviors (e.g., beat, hit with a belt) and CPM physical sequelae (e.g., bruises, fractures) into a single
conceptual category to predict adverse psychological consequences in adults. This is preventing the
examination whether specific subgroups of CPM exposure may report a higher risk of psychopathology
symptoms in adulthood. The aim of this study was to examine whether distinct experiences of CPM
histories (no physical maltreatment, physical maltreatment only, and physical maltreatment with
physical sequelae) would be differentially associated with specific psychopathology dimensions in
adulthood. symptoms
Method: Data were drawn from the Portuguese National Representative Study of Psychosocial Context of
Child Abuse and Neglect (N = 941). Participants completed the Childhood History Questionnaire and the
Brief Symptom Inventory.
Results: Three groups were created based on participants' experience of CPM assessed by the Childhood
History Questionnaire. Participants who reported that suffered physical sequelae of the CPM exhibited
significantly higher symptoms in all psychopathology dimensions than participants with no history of
CPM and participants that were exposed to physical maltreatment without sequelae.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that clinicians should discriminate CPM behavior from CPM physical
sequelae in order to increase effectiveness of mental health treatment with adults with history of CPM.
Our findings are discussed in light of the evolutionary-developmental frameworks of adaptative
development and cumulative risk hypothesis.
Descrição
European Psychiatry, 53 (2018)
Palavras-chave
PSICOLOGIA, PSICOPATOLOGIA, MAUS-TRATOS INFANTIS, PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, CHILD ABUSE