Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Mayo Clinic researchers examine the psychological impact of child abuse

Mayo Clinic researchers examine the psychological impact of child abuse

May 22, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO -- According to a new Mayo Clinic study, a history of child abuse significantly impacts the wide range of challenges facing depressed inpatients. Included are an increase in suicide attempts, prevalence of substance use disorder, and a higher incidence rate of personality disorder. Additionally, these victims also had an earlier onset of mental illness and an increase in psychiatric hospitalizations for psychiatric issues. The study was presented at the American Psychiatric Association 2009 Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

The impact of child abuse already is known to increase the risk of suicide, however the literature about other characteristics of depressed victims of child abuse is scarce. Although the findings of the Mayo study do not confirm causality, the information stresses the importance of more aggressive approaches from the public health perspective to prevent child abuse.




"A history of child abuse makes most psychiatric illnesses worse," according to Magdalena Romanowicz, M.D., lead author of the study. "We found that it significantly impacts the wide range of characteristics of depressed inpatients including increased risk of suicide attempt, substance abuse, as well as earlier onset of mental illness and more psychiatric hospitalizations. This new information serves as a reminder of the importance of child abuse prevention from a public health perspective."

Dr. Romanowicz says plans are under way to further examine the association between child abuse and metal illness in a larger study of patients.

Mayo Clinic



Related Child Abuse Current Events and Child Abuse News Articles Child Abuse Current Events and Child Abuse News RSS Child Abuse Current Events and Child Abuse News RSS
Stories We Tell About National Trauma Reflect Our Psychological Well-Being
A new study by psychologists at the University at Buffalo and the F. W. Olin College of Engineering finds that in the aftermath of national trauma, the ability to make sense out of what happened has implications for individual well-being and that the kinds of stories people tell about the incident predict very different psychological outcomes for them.

How multiple childhood maltreatments lead to greater adolescent binge drinking
Researchers from Boston University found that multiple types of child maltreatment are robust risk factors for underage binge drinking based on a national multi-year study that explored the influence of social environment on the health of adolescents.

'Recovery coaches' effective in reducing number of babies exposed to drugs
About 11 percent of the 4 million babies born in the U.S. each year have been exposed to alcohol or illicit drugs in the womb, according to a June 2006 report by the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare.

Methamphetamine abuse linked to underage sex, smoking and drinking
Teens who have never done drugs, but engage in other risky behaviours such as drinking, smoking and being sexually active, are more likely to use crystal meth, medical researchers at the University of Alberta have concluded.

Memo to ER docs: Send young victims of violence for 1-on-1 counseling
A study of 113 children and teens physically victimized by peers concludes that one-on-one mentoring about how to safely avoid conflict and diffuse threats makes them far less likely to become victims again if guidance is initiated in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

Exposure to family violence especially harmful to previously abused children
Millions of American children are exposed to violence in their homes each year, putting them at risk for a variety of emotional and behavioral problems.

New approach needed to tackle child abuse and neglect
Leading child advocates have called for a new approach to tackling child abuse and neglect amid rising rates of abuse notifications and children being brought into State care.

Complex questions asked by defense lawyers linked to convictions in child abuse trials
Defendants in child abuse cases are more likely to be convicted if their defense lawyer uses complicated language when interrogating young victims according to new research out of the University of Toronto and the University of Southern California.

Leading experts investigate Shaken Baby Syndrome
Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), also known as childhood neurotrauma or inflicted traumatic brain injury, is the leading cause of death from childhood maltreatment.

Early neglect predicts aggressive behavior in children
Children who are neglected before their second birthday display higher levels of aggressive behavior between ages 4 and 8, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, published today in the journal Pediatrics.
More Child Abuse Current Events and Child Abuse News Articles
Please Tell!: A Child's Story About Sexual Abuse (Early Steps)

Please Tell!: A Child's Story About Sexual Abuse (Early Steps)
by Jessie Ottenweller (Author)

Written and illustrated by a young girl who was sexually molested by a family member, this book reaches out to other children in a way that no adult can. Jessie's words carry the message, "It's o.k. to tell; help can come when you tell."

This book is an excellent tool for therapists, counselors, child protection workers, teachers, and parents dealing with children affected by sexual abuse.

Jessie's story adds a sense of hope for what should be, and the knowledge that the child protection system can work for children. Simple, direct, and from the heart, Jessie gives children the permission and the courage to deal with sexual abuse.

"Please Tell! is a beautifully simple book with a profoundly important message for children who have been sexually abused: the abuse wasn't their...

Outgrowing the Pain: A Book for and About Adults Abused As Children

Outgrowing the Pain: A Book for and About Adults Abused As Children
by Eliana Gil (Author)

This much-needed book pinpoints the typical problems abused children experience when they become adults. The information is presented in a friendly and thorough manner for victims and professionals. Original.

Mockingbird Don't Sing

Mockingbird Don't Sing
Starring: Melissa Errico, Joe Regalbuto, Sean Young, Michael Lerner, Kim Darby
Directed By: Harry Bromley Davenport

From the age of one and a half to thirteen, Katie, was imprisoned by her parents. Locked in a room, tied and immobile, bound to a "potty-chair", Katie endured years of isolated silence punctuated by brutality. When Katie’s case finally came to public attention she was moved to a hospital in Los Angeles, where it was discovered she had never been taught to speak. Katie was an anomaly, a modern day Wild Child. Medical and psychological doctors descended on the girl in droves, often with selfish motivations in this heart-breaking story. With stunning care to detail Mockingbird Don’t Sing tells Katie’s story of imprisonment, discovery and her difficult road to joining the human...

One Child

One Child
by Torey L. Hayden (Author)

Finally, a beginning...

The time had finally come. The time I had been waiting for through all these long months that I knew sooner or later had to occur. Now it was here.

She had surprised me so much by actually crying that for a moment I did nothing but look at her. Then I gathered her into my arms, hugging her tightly. She clutched onto my shirt so that I could feel the dull pain of her fingers digging into my skin. She cried and cried and cried. I held her and rocked the chair back and on its rear legs, feeling my arms and chest get damp from the tears and her hot breath and the smallness of the room.



The Fourteenth Year

The Fourteenth Year
by Kelly Watt (Author)

The Fourteenth Year is a memoir narrated by a young girl whose unrelenting strength somehow carries her through the throes of an extinguished childhood. Her story begins as she attempts to reclaim control of her life from the steamy grip of her biological father. As she describes the exhausting legal process, the details of the past fourteen years unfold into the culminating showdown between a dad and a daughter. For Kelly, life is dictated by a sexually and emotionally abusive father whose self-proclaimed deification demands subservience by all. No protection is offered by the emotionally detached mother, who does nothing to stop him . Their daughter must find a way to remain psychologically intact as the abuse worsens. Eventually leaving the house or even watching television had a...

Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect (8th Edition)

Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect (8th Edition)
by Cynthia Crosson-Tower (Author)

This best-selling text offers a comprehensive look at child maltreatment, incorporating history, case vignettes, and the author's own experience as a child protection worker.

           

The author covers the history of child welfare, gives an overview of functional and dysfunctional families, and contrasts healthy child development with development hampered by abuse and neglect.  In addition, Child Abuse and Neglect explains case management procedures and focuses on how various professionals become involved in the child protection process and how treatment is undertaken.  The text concludes with a discussion of prevention and a consideration of the...

Awful Normal

Awful Normal
Starring: Celesta Davis
Directed By: Celesta Davis

Winner Grand Prize, Documentary - Cinequest Film Festival Celesta Davis has been on both Oprah and Primetime Live to talk about Awful Normal Celesta and Karen Davis grew up in a loving family. They shared many wonderful childhood moments and, at the time, thought it all was normal. But when Karen and Celesta were molested in 1978, little was being done about sexual abuse. Their parents' lack of action was neither questioned nor challenged, including years of continued social contact with the perpetrator, his wife and their two young children. This made for some not-so-normal memories. Twenty-five years later, feeling unresolved, they begin their quest to find the man who took advantage of their innocence and to ask him something that has haunted them for almost their entire...

Tell Me That You Like It

Tell Me That You Like It
by Terre J. Sadler (Author)

"This was his art - painting with her blood."

Young Maggie Harris has no delusions regarding the existence of monsters. She knows they are real. She knows they sneak up and grab you before you know they are there. She knows because it happened to her. After five years of captivity, Maggie is returned. Her family and the entire community are then plunged into the nightmare world of child prostitution and pornography. As investigators struggle to apprehend those responsible, they follow the trail of a madman, who leaves grisly clues and bodies in his wake. Can Maggie ever really be free?

Child Abuse and Culture: Working with Diverse Families

Child Abuse and Culture: Working with Diverse Families
by Lisa Aronson Fontes PhD (Author)

This expertly written book provides an accessible framework for culturally competent practice with children and families in child maltreatment cases. Numerous workable strategies and concrete examples are presented to help readers address cultural concerns at each stage of the assessment and intervention process. Professionals and students learn new ways of thinking about their own cultural viewpoints as they gain critical skills for maximizing the accuracy of assessments for physical and sexual abuse; overcoming language barriers in parent and child interviews; respecting families' values and beliefs while ensuring children's safety; creating a welcoming agency environment; and more.



Do You Know the Muffin Man?

Do You Know the Muffin Man?
Starring: Pam Dawber, John Shea, Stephen Dorff, Brian Bonsall, Janet Eilber
Directed By: Gilbert Cates
Also With: Mark Irwin (Cinematographer), Lee Holdridge (Composer)

Studio: Direct Source Spec Prod Release Date: 02/27/2007

© 2009 BrightSurf.com