References pertaining to abuse and development of depression:

Arch Womens Ment Health. 2003 Feb;6(1):15-22.

Neurobiological effects of childhood abuse: implications for the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety.

Penza KM, Heim C, Nemeroff CB.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.

Mood and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent psychiatric disorders, especially in women, and they are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. A considerable literature indicates that vulnerability to depression and anxiety disorders is markedly increased by childhood abuse, e.g., physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, as well as adulthood stressors, e.g., death of a spouse. Little is known about the developmental neurobiological mechanisms by which childhood abuse increases the susceptibility of women to the development of depression and anxiety disorders in adulthood. Recent research on the effects of adverse early life experiences on central nervous system (CNS) stress systems has provided a greater understanding of the link between childhood abuse and susceptibility to mood and anxiety disorders. Specifically, early life traumatic events, occurring during a period of neuronal plasticity, appear to permanently render neuroendocrine stress response systems supersensitive. These physiological maladaptations likely represent long-term risk factors for the development of psychopathology after exposure to additional stress.

Publication Types:
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

PMID: 12715261 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Dev Psychopathol. 2001 Summer;13(3):451-71.

Effects of early stress on brain structure and function: implications for understanding the relationship between child maltreatment and depression.

Kaufman J, Charney D.

Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. joan.kaufman@yale.edu

Child abuse is associated with markedly elevated rates of major depression (MDD) in child, adolescent, and adult cohorts. This article reviews preclinical (e.g., animal) studies of the effects of early stress and studies of the neurobiological correlates of MDD in adults and children, and it highlights differences in the neurobiological correlates of MDD and stress at various developmental stages. The preclinical studies demonstrate that stress early in life can alter the development multiple neurotransmitter systems and promote structural and functional alterations in brain regions similar to those seen in adults with depression. Preclinical and clinical studies suggest, however, that long-term neurobiological changes associated with early stress can be modified by familial/genetic factors, the quality of the subsequent caregiving environment, and pharmacological interventions. Little is known about how developmental factors interact with experiences of early stress and these other modifying factors. Moreover, in cases of child maltreatment, the effects of early abuse are often exacerbated by failures in the child protection system and repeat out-of-home placements. Given the number of factors that impact on the long-term outcome of maltreated children, multidisciplinary research efforts are recommended to address this problem-with foci that span from neurobiology to social policy.

Publication Types:
Review

PMID: 11523843 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Psychol Med. 2004 Nov;34(8):1475-82.

Childhood sexual abuse, stressful life events and risk for major depression in women.

Kendler KS, Kuhn JW, Prescott CA.

Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, VA 23298-0126, USA.

BACKGROUND: In animals, early trauma can produce long-lasting changes in sensitivity to the pathogenic effects of stress. To explore whether similar processes occur in humans, we examine whether childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in women alters sensitivity in adulthood to the depressogenic effects of stressful life events (SLEs). METHOD: A history of CSA was obtained from a population-based sample of 1404 female adult twins. Cox Proportional hazard models were used to predict onsets of episodes of DSM-III-R major depression (MD) in the past year from previously assessed levels of neuroticism (N), CSA and past-year SLEs scored on long-term contextual threat. RESULTS: In the best-fit model, onset of MD was predicted by CSA, SLEs and N. Individuals with CSA (and especially with severe CSA) had both an overall increased risk for MD and a substantially increased sensitivity to the depressogenic effects of SLEs. A 'dose-response' relationship between severity of CSA and sensitivity to SLEs was clearer in those with low to average levels of N than in those with high levels of N. CONCLUSION: As documented with physiological responses to a standardized laboratory stressor, CSA increases stress sensitivity in women in a more naturalistic setting. Both genetic and early environmental risk factors can produce long-term increase in the sensitivity of individuals to depressogenic life experiences.

Publication Types:
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Twin Study

Am J Psychiatry. 1999 Jun;156(6):816-28.

Childhood sexual abuse as a risk factor for depression in women: psychosocial and neurobiological correlates.

Weiss EL, Longhurst JG, Mazure CM.

Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. carolyn.mazure@yale.edu

OBJECTIVE: Depression is twice as common in women as in men, but the reason for this sexual dimorphism is unknown. This article reviews recent studies of the role of childhood sexual abuse in the subsequent development of major depressive disorder, and the biological and psychosocial mechanisms by which early stressors may contribute to adult-onset depression in women. Particular attention is paid to investigations of the long-term effects of early stress on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. METHOD: Studies were identified by means of computerized and manual searches; further references were obtained from the bibliographies of reviewed articles. RESULTS: Childhood sexual abuse is associated with adult-onset depression in both men and women, and occurrence of such abuse is more common in girls than in boys. There is evidence from both animal and human studies that early stressors produce long-term dysregulation of the HPA axis similar to that seen in depressed patients and that such dysregulation results in a differential response to stressors in adulthood. In addition, it appears that the HPA axis in females may be more susceptible to stress-induced dysregulation, which might contribute to an increased vulnerability to depression in adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood sexual abuse is an important early stressor that may predispose individuals to adult-onset depression by means of dysregulation of the HPA axis. Investigation of the mechanisms mediating the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult-onset depression, and the study of gender differences in exposure to this and other stressors, may improve our understanding of the etiology of depressive illness in general.

Publication Types:
Review

PMID: 10360118 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Sci STKE. 2004 Mar 16;2004(225):re5.

Life stress, genes, and depression: multiple pathways lead to increased risk and new opportunities for intervention.

Charney DS, Manji HK.

Mood and Anxiety Disorders Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, 15K North Drive, Room 101, MSC 2670, Bethesda, MD 20892-2670, USA. charneyd@nih.gov

Major depression is a common, severe, chronic, and often life-threatening illness. There is a growing appreciation that, far from being a disease with purely psychological manifestations, major depression is a systemic disease with deleterious effects on multiple organ systems. Stressful life events have a substantial causal association with depression, and there is now compelling evidence that even early life stress constitutes a major risk factor for the subsequent development of depression. The emerging evidence suggests that the combination of genetics, early life stress, and ongoing stress may ultimately determine individual responsiveness to stress and the vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, such as depression. It is likely that genetic factors and life stress contribute not only to neurochemical alterations, but also to the impairments of cellular plasticity and resilience observed in depression. Recent preclinical and clinical studies have shown that signaling pathways involved in regulating cell plasticity and resilience are long-term targets for the actions of antidepressant agents. Agents capable of reversing the hypothesized impairments of cellular resilience, reductions in brain volume, and cell death or atrophy in depression have the potential of becoming new therapeutic classes of antidepressant drugs. Novel cellular targets include agents targeting neurotrophic pathways, glucocorticoid signaling, phosphodiesterase activity, and glutamatergic throughput. The future development of treatments that more directly target molecules in critical CNS (central nervous system) signaling pathways that regulate cellular plasticity thus hold promise as novel, improved long-term treatments for major depression.

Publication Types:
Review

PMID: 15039492 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008 Feb;65(2):190-200.

Influence of child abuse on adult depression: moderation by the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor gene.

Bradley RG, Binder EB, Epstein MP, Tang Y, Nair HP, Liu W, Gillespie CF, Berg T, Evces M, Newport DJ, Stowe ZN, Heim CM, Nemeroff CB, Schwartz A, Cubells JF, Ressler KJ.

Atlanta VA Medical Center, Georgia, USA.

CONTEXT: Genetic inheritance and developmental life stress both contribute to major depressive disorder in adults. Child abuse and trauma alter the endogenous stress response, principally corticotropin-releasing hormone and its downstream effectors, suggesting that a gene x environment interaction at this locus may be important in depression. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the effects of child abuse on adult depressive symptoms are moderated by genetic polymorphisms within the corticotropin-releasing hormone type 1 receptor (CRHR1) gene. DESIGN: Association study examining gene x environment interactions between genetic polymorphisms at the CRHR1 locus and measures of child abuse on adult depressive symptoms. SETTING: General medical clinics of a large, public, urban hospital and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. PARTICIPANTS: The primary participant population was 97.4% African American, of low socioeconomic status, and with high rates of lifetime trauma (n = 422). A supportive independent sample (n = 199) was distinct both ethnically (87.7% Caucasian) and socioeconomically (less impoverished). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Beck Depression Inventory scores and history of major depressive disorder by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders. RESULTS: Fifteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms spanning 57 kilobases of the CRHR1 gene were examined. We found significant gene x environment interactions with multiple individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms (eg, rs110402, P = .008) as well as with a common haplotype spanning intron 1 (P < .001). Specific CRHR1 polymorphisms appeared to moderate the effect of child abuse on the risk for adult depressive symptoms. These protective effects were supported with similar findings in a second independent sample (n = 199). CONCLUSIONS: These data support the corticotropin-releasing hormone hypothesis of depression and suggest that a gene x environment interaction is important for the expression of depressive symptoms in adults with CRHR1 risk or protective alleles who have a history of child abuse.

Publication Types:
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 18250257 [PubMed - in process]

J Abnorm Psychol. 2006 Nov;115(4):730-41.

The role of childhood abuse and neglect in the sensitization to stressful life events in adolescent depression.

Harkness KL, Bruce AE, Lumley MN.

Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. harkness@post.queensu.ca

This study examined the role of childhood abuse and neglect in sensitizing adolescents to the effects of proximal stressful life events in a cross-sectional sample of 103 depressed and nondepressed adolescents. Consistent with hypotheses, adolescents with a history of childhood abuse and/or neglect reported a lower level of threat of stressful life events prior to episode onset than that reported by those without. This effect was specific to those on their 1st episode of depression and was specific to independent events (i.e., stressors outside of adolescents' control). Further, this effect was robust when controlling for level of chronic difficulties, which was higher in those with childhood abuse and/or neglect. The authors suggest that childhood abuse and/or neglect may be an important risk factor that sensitizes individuals to the effects of acute independent life events. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Publication Types:
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 17100530 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Depress Anxiety. 2007;24(4):256-63.

Childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and diagnoses of depressive and anxiety disorders in adult psychiatric outpatients.

Gibb BE, Chelminski I, Zimmerman M.

Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, USA. bgibb@binghamton.edu

Although a number of theorists have hypothesized a link between negative experiences during childhood (e.g., abuse) and the presence of psychopathology in adults, little is known about the relative specificity of childhood emotional, physical, or sexual abuse to different forms of psychopathology. In this study, we hypothesized that adult psychiatric outpatients' reports of childhood emotional abuse would exhibit a specific relationship with diagnoses of depression. Analyses partially supported our hypothesis. Specifically, diagnoses of major depression were significantly more strongly related to reports of childhood emotional abuse than to physical or sexual abuse. However, the same effect was observed for social phobia. In addition, patients with major depression reported equivalent levels of childhood emotional abuse as patients with social phobia, but lower levels of emotional abuse than those with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Publication Types:
Comparative Study
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

PMID: 17041933 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2006 May;194(5):382-5.

Childhood sexual abuse and depressive symptom severity: the role of neuroticism.

Gamble SA, Talbot NL, Duberstein PR, Conner KR, Franus N, Beckman AM, Conwell Y.

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642-8409, USA.

This study examined neuroticism's role in the association between childhood sexual abuse and severity of depressive symptoms in a sample of 105 psychiatric patients 50 years of age and older diagnosed with major depressive disorder. As hypothesized, men and women who reported histories of childhood sexual abuse had more severe depressive symptoms than those without abuse histories. Further, neuroticism partially accounted for the association between severe childhood sexual abuse and depressive symptom severity. Self-consciousness, a facet of neuroticism conceptually related to shame, also partially accounted for that relationship. These findings suggest that neuroticism may be one way in which childhood sexual abuse contributes to depressive symptoms in later life. Prospective studies are needed.

Publication Types:
Comparative Study
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

PMID: 16699389 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Child Maltreat. 2005 Feb;10(1):37-48.

Child maltreatment in depressed adolescents: differences in symptomatology based on history of abuse.

Danielson CK, de Arellano MA, Kilpatrick DG, Saunders BE, Resnick HS.

Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. danielso@musc.edu

Research has demonstrated that youth who are sexually or physically abused are at greater risk for developing depression. Although the association between depression and child maltreatment has been well documented, much less is known about the potential differences in the clinical presentation of depressive symptomatology among these victims. The current study examines differences in symptoms of depression in adolescents based on differing histories of abuse (i.e., sexual abuse only, physical abuse only, sexual and physical abuse, and no history of sexual or physical abuse), abuse incident characteristics, and gender. Participants were drawn from a subsample (n = 548) from the National Survey of Adolescents who met criteria for major depressive episode in the past year. Results indicate significant differences in severity of depression and specific depressive symptoms based on type of abuse experienced and gender. Implications for the clinical assessment and treatment of depressed adolescents with regard to abuse history are discussed.

Publication Types:
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 15611325 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2004 Dec;48(6):683-96.

Childhood sexual abuse, gender, and depression among incarcerated youth.

Gover AR.

University of Florida Center for Studies in Criminology and Law P.O. Box 115950, 209 Walker Hall Gainesville, Florida 32611-5950, USA.

This study examined whether sexual abuse was related to higher levels of psychological distress among incarcerated youth and if the effects were invariant across gender. Participants were male and female adolescents, aged 11 to 20 years, incarcerated in six juvenile correctional institutions in five states. Using data from a national study of juveniles confined to secure institutions, this study assessed the relationship between gender, sexual abuse, and depression. Adolescents who were sexually abused during childhood compared to adolescents who were not report higher levels of depression. Sexually abused girls and boys report higher levels of depression compared to boys not sexually abused. These findings suggest the importance of understanding the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and depressive symptoms among incarcerated youth. Additionally, the findings suggest that the effects of childhood sexual abuse are similar for males and females among a high-risk sample of institutionalized juvenile delinquents. Implications for treatment of incarcerated youth are discussed.

Publication Types:
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

PMID: 15538026 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2004 Sep-Oct;12(5):536-8.

Preliminary report on childhood sexual abuse, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among middle-aged and older depressed women.

Talbot NL, Duberstein PR, Cox C, Denning D, Conwell Y.

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 300 Crittenden Blvd., Rochester, NY 14642-8409, USA. Nancy_Talbot@URMC.Rochester.edu

OBJECTIVE: Authors examined the relationship between childhood sexual abuse histories and suicidal ideation and behavior among depressed women age 50 years and older. METHODS: After admission to a psychiatric unit, participants were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R and measures of suicidal ideation and behavior. RESULTS: Women who reported abuse histories were more likely to report suicidal ideation at the time of hospitalization and a history of multiple suicide attempts. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings underscore the need for more study of how childhood abuse amplifies risk for suicidal ideation and behavior among women across the life course.

Publication Types:
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

PMID: 15353394 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Am J Psychiatry. 2003 May;160(5):933-8.

Comment in:
Am J Psychiatry. 2004 Apr;161(4):762-3; author reply 763-4.

The relationship between childhood physical abuse and suicidality among depressed women: results from a community sample.

McHolm AE, MacMillan HL, Jamieson E.

Canadian Center for Studies of Children at Risk, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8N 3Z5.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the distribution and determinants of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in a community sample of women with major depressive disorder. Variables of interest included childhood physical abuse, individual and familial psychiatric history, and sociodemographic factors. METHOD: Women (age 15 to 64 years) from a community sample who met criteria for major depressive disorder (lifetime prevalence) (N=347) were assessed with a modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Childhood physical abuse history was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Approximately one-quarter (23.9%, N=83) of the women with major depressive disorder reported that they had made a suicide attempt, and more than half (55.6%, N=193) had experienced suicidal ideation. A history of suicide attempt was most strongly related to the number of comorbid psychiatric disorders (odds ratio=2.04, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.21-3.43). Suicidal ideation was most strongly associated with a history of childhood physical abuse (odds ratio=2.77, 95% CI=1.26-6.12). CONCLUSIONS: Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were reported frequently by women with a history of major depressive disorder. Correlates for suicide attempts showed some differences from those for ideation. This finding is of clinical importance, since it relates to the identification of individuals at risk for suicidal behavior.

Publication Types:
Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 12727698 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2003 Mar;42(3):269-78.

Ten-year research update review: child sexual abuse.

Putnam FW.

Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229-3039, USA. Frank.Putnam@chmcc.org

OBJECTIVE To provide clinicians with current information on prevalence, risk factors, outcomes, treatment, and prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA). To examine the best-documented examples of psychopathology attributable to CSA.METHOD Computer literature searches of and for key words. All English-language articles published after 1989 containing empirical data pertaining to CSA were reviewed.RESULTS CSA constitutes approximately 10% of officially substantiated child maltreatment cases, numbering approximately 88,000 in 2000. Adjusted prevalence rates are 16.8% and 7.9% for adult women and men, respectively. Risk factors include gender, age, disabilities, and parental dysfunction. A range of symptoms and disorders has been associated with CSA, but depression in adults and sexualized behaviors in children are the best-documented outcomes. To date, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) of the child and a nonoffending parent is the most effective treatment. Prevention efforts have focused on child education to increase awareness and home visitation to decrease risk factors.CONCLUSIONS CSA is a significant risk factor for psychopathology, especially depression and substance abuse. Preliminary research indicates that CBT is effective for some symptoms, but longitudinal follow-up and large-scale "effectiveness" studies are needed. Prevention programs have promise, but evaluations to date are limited.

PMID: 12595779 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Drug Alcohol Depend. 2003 Jan 24;69(1):51-60.

Physical and sexual abuse, depression and alcohol use disorders in adolescents: onsets and outcomes.

Clark DB, De Bellis MD, Lynch KG, Cornelius JR, Martin CS.

Department of Psychiatry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. clarkdb@msx.upmc.edu

Adolescents with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) often have major depressive disorder (MDD). While physical abuse and sexual abuse (PS Abuse) have been observed to be common in adolescents with AUDs, the influence of PS Abuse on comorbid MDD and AUD has not been determined. The effect of pre-existing PS Abuse on the young adulthood outcomes of adolescents with AUDs has also not been adequately explored. This study examined the relationships among PS Abuse, MDD, and AUD in adolescence, as well as related young adult outcomes. Adolescents (mean age: 16.4 years; range: 14-18 years) were recruited from clinical and community sources and classified into four groups: (1) AUD+PS Abuse (n=154), (2) AUD only (n=255), (3) PS Abuse only (n=74), and (4) Controls (n=268). Subjects were longitudinally assessed through young adulthood (age 19 years or older). Measures included interview assessments of DSM-IV AUD and MDD, classified as "primary" or "secondary", and questionnaire measures of alcohol consumption and depression. Primary MDD preceded AUD whereas secondary MDD had a later onset than AUD. PS Abuse accelerated the onsets of primary MDD, secondary MDD and AUD. While affected adolescents had typically improved in both alcohol consumption and depression at the young adult assessment, the majority of those with adolescent AUD had AUDs in young adulthood, and MDD remained common in those with a history of PS Abuse. These results indicate that MDD among adolescents with AUD may be partly attributable to PS Abuse.

Publication Types:
Comparative Study
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

PMID: 12536066 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Bull Menninger Clin. 2002 Summer;66(3):241-58.

Exploring psychological abuse in childhood: II. Association with other abuse and adult clinical depression.

Bifulco A, Moran PM, Baines R, Bunn A, Stanford K.

Department of Health and Social Care, University of London, United Kingdom. lifespan@rhul.ac.uk

A new retrospective interview assessment of childhood psychological abuse, an extension to the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) instrument, is described in a companion article (Moran, Bifulco, Ball, Jacobs, & Benaim, 2002). The purpose of the present article is to examine the relationship of childhood psychological abuse to other adverse childhood experiences and to major depression and suicidal behavior in adult life. Childhood experience and lifetime disorder were assessed retrospectively in a high-risk, community series of London women (n = 204). Psychological abuse from parents was examined in relation to seven other parental behaviors (neglect, antipathy, role reversal, discipline, supervision, physical abuse, and sexual abuse). Psychological abuse was significantly related to all seven behaviors. The highest associations found were to antipathy (gamma = .76), neglect (.73), and sexual abuse (.72). Factor analysis showed the existence of two factors reflecting care and control, with psychological abuse associated with both factors. Childhood psychological abuse was highly related to chronic or recurrent adult depression, with a "dose-response" evident for severity of abuse. The rates ranged from 83% for "marked" to 55% for "mild" abuse and 37% for "little/no" psychological abuse (p < .002). Psychological abuse was also related to lifetime suicidal behavior but here any level of abuse from marked to mild had similar rates (36% overall vs. 18% with no psychological abuse, p < .04). There was no evidence of specificity of childhood experience to adult depression; nearly all types of childhood adversity examined were significantly related. An analysis using an index of multiple abuse, including psychological abuse, showed a clear dose-response relationship to disorder. Somewhat fewer forms of maltreatment were related to suicidal behavior, but again multiples showed a clear dose-response effect.

Publication Types:
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 12448629 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Am J Psychiatry. 2001 Nov;158(11):1878-83.

Childhood abuse and lifetime psychopathology in a community sample.

MacMillan HL, Fleming JE, Streiner DL, Lin E, Boyle MH, Jamieson E, Duku EK, Walsh CA, Wong MY, Beardslee WR.

Canadian Centre for Studies of Children at Risk, Ontario, Canada. macmilnh@mcmaster.ca

OBJECTIVE: The authors assessed lifetime psychopathology in a general population sample and compared the rates of five psychiatric disorder categories between those who reported a childhood history of either physical or sexual abuse and those who did not. METHOD: A modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and a self-completed questionnaire on child abuse were administered to a probability sample (N=7,016) of Ontario residents 15 to 64 years of age. RESULTS: Those reporting a history of childhood physical abuse had significantly higher lifetime rates of anxiety disorders, alcohol abuse/dependence, and antisocial behavior and were more likely to have one or more disorders than were those without such a history. Women, but not men, with a history of physical abuse had significantly higher lifetime rates of major depression and illicit drug abuse/dependence than did women with no such history. A history of childhood sexual abuse was also associated with higher rates of all disorders considered in women. In men, the prevalence of disorders tended to be higher among those who reported exposure to sexual abuse, but only the associations with alcohol abuse/dependence and the category of one or more disorders reached statistical significance. The relationship between a childhood history of physical abuse and lifetime psychopathology varied significantly by gender for all categories except for anxiety disorders. Although not statistically significant, a similar relationship was seen between childhood history of sexual abuse and lifetime psychopathology. CONCLUSIONS: A history of abuse in childhood increases the likelihood of lifetime psychopathology; this association appears stronger for women than men.

Publication Types:
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 11691695 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]