40 percent of mental illnesses linked to childhood abuse

Summary: Up to 40% of common mental health problems, including anxiety, depression and substance abuse, stem from childhood abuse. The study estimates that combating child abuse could prevent more than 1.8 million cases of these disorders.

Specifically, child abuse accounts for 41% of suicide attempts and 35% of self-harm cases nationally. This comprehensive analysis highlights the urgent need to address child abuse and neglect as a public health priority, with potential policy interventions to alleviate family stress and support mental health.

Highlights:

1. Widespread impact: Childhood maltreatment contributes significantly to mental health problems in Australia, affecting major life outcomes such as depression, anxiety and self-harm.
2. Preventive potential: Eradicating child abuse could prevent millions of mental health cases and significantly reduce the years lost to death or disability from these conditions.
3. Policy recommendations: The study calls for policy-driven prevention measures, including paid parental leave and affordable child care, to reduce rates of child maltreatment.

Source: University of Sydney

A study examining child abuse in Australia has revealed the shocking burden on Australians, estimating it causes up to 40 per cent of common mental health problems that occur across the lifespan .

The mental health problems examined were anxiety, depression, harmful alcohol and drug use, self-harm and suicide attempts. Child abuse is classified as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as emotional or physical neglect before the age of 18.

Childhood abuse was found to account for 41 per cent of suicide attempts in Australia, 35 per cent of self-harm cases and 21 per cent of depression cases.

The analysis, published in JAMA Psychiatry is the first study to provide estimates of the proportion of mental health problems in Australia resulting from childhood maltreatment.

The researchers said the findings provide a wake-up call for child abuse and neglect to be treated as a national public health priority.

“The results are devastating and an urgent call to invest in prevention – not only by providing individual support to children and families, but also by adopting broader policies aimed at reducing the stress felt by families,” said Dr Lucinda Grummitt, from the Matilda Center at the University of Sydney, who led the study.

“Investments to address child abuse have the potential to prevent millions of cases of mental health problems in Australia. »

The analysis also found that if child abuse was eradicated in Australia, more than 1.8 million cases of depression, anxiety and substance use disorders could be prevented.

The study also found that eliminating child maltreatment in Australia would have avoided 66,143 years of life lost (deaths) and 118,493 years lived with disability by 2023, totaling 184,636 years of life in good health lost due to mental health problems.

Researchers looked at data which included national surveys provided by the Australian Child Maltreatment Study in 2023 (8,500 participants), the Australian National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2020-2022 (15,893 participants) and the Australian Burden of Disease Study 2023.

The study used analytical methods to investigate the link between child maltreatment and mental health, which isolated other influential factors such as genetics or social environment. This provides stronger evidence that childhood abuse causes some mental health problems.

Mental health problems are currently the leading cause of disease burden worldwide, affecting 13 percent of the world’s population. In Australia, suicide is the leading cause of death among young people.

Previous research (independent of the University of Sydney study) found that more than half (53.8%) of Australians experienced abuse during their childhood.

Dr. Grummitt said there are effective interventions, such as child abuse support programs or parent education programs, but the most sustainable solution to preventing child abuse is prevention-focused on policies.

“Policies aimed at alleviating the stress felt by families, such as paid parental leave, affordable child care, income supports like job seekers, and ensuring parents have access to treatment and support for their own mental health, could make a world of difference for Australian children.

“Addressing the societal and economic conditions that give rise to child maltreatment can play an important role in preventing mental disorders at the national level,” Dr. Grummitt said.

The researchers cite an example from the United States where the introduction of state-paid parental leave policies and early access to subsidized childcare were closely linked to a reduction in child maltreatment rates.

About this news on childhood trauma and mental health research

Author: Ivy Shih
Source: University of Sydney
Contact: Ivy Shih – University of Sydney
Picture: Image is credited to Neuroscience News

Original research: Closed access.
“Burden of mental disorders and suicide attributable to childhood maltreatment” by Lucinda Grummitt et al. JAMA Psychiatry

Abstract

Burden of mental disorders and suicide attributable to childhood maltreatment

Importance

The proportion of mental disorders and the burden causally attributable to childhood maltreatment are unknown.

Objective

To determine the contribution of child maltreatment to mental health problems in Australia, taking into account genetic and environmental confounds.

Design, setting and participants

This meta-analysis involved an epidemiological assessment accounting for genetic and environmental confounding between maltreatment and mental health and 3 national cross-sectional surveys: the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) 2023, National Study of Mental Health and Well-being 2020 -2022, and Australian Burden of Disease Study 2023.

Causal estimates were derived of the association between childhood maltreatment and mental health problems from a meta-analysis of quasi-experimental studies. This was combined with the ACMS maltreatment prevalence to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF).

The PAF was applied to the number and burden of mental health problems in Australia, from two nationally representative population surveys of Australians aged 16 to 85 years, to generate the number and associated burden mental disorders attributable to child abuse.

Exposure

Physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse or neglect before the age of 18.

Main results and measures

Proportion and number of cases, years of life lost, years lived with disability and disability-adjusted life years of mental health problems (anxiety, depression, harmful use of alcohol and drugs, self-harm and suicide attempts) attributable to childhood abuse.

Results

Meta-analytic estimates were generated from 34 studies and 54,646 participants and applied to prevalence estimates of child maltreatment generated by 8,503 Australians. Childhood maltreatment accounted for a significant proportion of mental health problems, ranging from 21% (95% CI, 13% to 28%) for depression to 41% (95% CI, 27% to 54%). for suicide attempts.

More than 1.8 million cases of depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders could be prevented if childhood maltreatment were eradicated. Maltreatment accounted for 66,143 years of life lost (95% CI, 43,313-87,314), primarily through suicide, and 184,636 disability-adjusted life years (95% CI, 109,321-252,887) .

Conclusions and relevance

This study provides the first estimates of the causal contribution of child maltreatment to mental health in Australia. The findings highlight the urgency of preventing child maltreatment in order to reduce the prevalence and burden of mental disorders in the population.