Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Longitudinal Outcomes for Victims of Child Abuse

  • Child and Adolescent Disorders (TD Benton, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Psychiatry Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Childhood abuse and neglect (child maltreatment) represent a common and significant public health burden. The consequences of maltreatment can be seen immediately, in the short term and in the long term. Determination of the exact prevalence of childhood maltreatment is difficult, as many cases go unreported; however in reported cases there is an estimated $124 billion annual burden on the US health-care system. The evaluation of potential maltreatment is difficult as many of the initial symptoms are subtle and can be explained with alternative illnesses or injuries. Potential immediate and short-term effects include brain injury, shaken baby syndrome and behavioral regression. The potential long-term sequelae of child maltreatment are explored in detail here and include increased risks of the development of mental health disorders, substance use disorders and chronic physical complaints during development and adulthood. Lastly, the review provides an overview of current treatment approaches for victims of childhood maltreatment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

  1. US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. 2010. Child Maltreatment 2009, available from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#can.

  2. Martin A, Volkmar FR, & Lewis M. Lewis’ Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: A Comprehensive textbook. Fourth Edition, Chapter 5.15: 692–741. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. 2007.

  3. Fang X, et al. The economic burden of child maltreatment in the United States and implications for prevention. 2012. Child Abuse & Neglect. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213411003140.

  4. US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth and Families Children’s Bureau. (2009) Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions. Retrieved from http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/fatality.pdf.

  5. • Cloitre, et al. A developmental approach to complex PTSD: childhood and adult cumulative trauma as predictors of symptom complexity. J Trauma Stress. 2009;22(5):399–408. Describes and discusses the evaluation and approach in complex cases of PTSD, including workup and predictors of outcome.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. (2011) DSM-IV-TR criteria for PTSD. www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/pages/dsm-iv-tr-ptsd.asp.

  7. Harlow C. US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. 1999. Prior abuse reported by inmates and probationers (NCJ 172879) retrieved from http://bjs.ojp.usjoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/parip.pdf.

  8. Heins MJ, Knoop H, Lobbestael J, Bleijenberg G. Childhood maltreatment and the response to cognitive behavior therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome. J Psychosom Res. 2011;71(6):404–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. • Scott KM, Von Korff M, Angermeyer MC, et al. Association of child adversities and early onset mental disorders with adult onset chronic physical conditions. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011;68(8):838–44. Demonstrates the linkage between childhood maltreatment, mental health disorders and adult physical disorders.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Creighton SJ. Prevalence and Incidence of Child Abuse: International Comparisons. 2004.

  11. Rosenberg DA, Krugman RD. Epidemiology and outcome of child abuse. Annual Rev Med. 1991;42:217–24.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Mcdonald KC. Child abuse: approach and management. Am Fam Physician. 2007;15:221–8.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Every Child Matters Education Fund. We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in the US. 2009. Retrieved from http://www.everychildmatters.org/national/campaigns/we-can-do-better.html.

  14. Brown EJ. Child physical abuse: Risk for psychopathology and efficacy of interventions. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2003;5(2):87–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Anderson T. PTSD in Children and Adolescents. Great Cities Institute Publication: GCP-05-04. 2005.

  16. •• Jonson-Reid M, Kohl PL, Drake B. Child and adult outcomes of chronic childhood maltreatment. Pediatrics. 2012;129(5):839–45. Discusses the linkage between maltreatment and immediate and long-term negative outcomes.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. United States Government Accountability Office. Child maltreatment: strengthening national data on child fatalities could aid in prevention (GAO-11-599). 2011. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11599.pdf.

  18. Laslett AM, Room R, Dietze P, & Ferris J. Alcohol’s involvement in recurrent child abuse and neglect cases. Addiction, electronic publication 13600443.2012.03917.x. 2012.

  19. IACAPAP Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Child maltreatment, section B, 1–15. 2012. Internet text available at http://iacapap.org/iacapap-textbook-of-child-and-adolescent-mental-health.

  20. Green AH. Child sexual abuse: immediate and long-term effects and intervention. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1993;32(5):890–902.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Gilbert R, Widom CS, Browne K, Fergusson DM, Webb E, Janson S. Burden and consequences of child maltreatment in high-income countries. Lancet. 2009;373(9657):68–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Newton AW, Vandeven AM. Update on childhood maltreatment. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2008;20(2):205–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Stith S, Liu T, Davies LD. Risk factors in child maltreatment: a meta-analytic review of the literature. Aggress Violent Behav. 2009;14:13–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Ministry of Health Malaysia. Guidelines for the Hospital Management of Child Abuse and Neglect. Medical Development Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia. 2009; 77–78.

  25. American Academy of Pediatrics: Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect. Shaken baby syndrome: rotational cranial injuries-technical report. Pediatrics. 2001;108:206–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Wegman HL, Stetler C. A meta-analytic review of the effects of childhood abuse on medical outcomes in adulthood. Psychosom Med. 2009;71(8):805–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Nanni V, Uher R, Danese A. Childhood maltreatment predicts unfavorable course of the illness and treatment outcome and depression: a meta-analysis. Am J Psychiatry. 2012;163(2):141–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Sartor CE, Grant JD, Lynskey MT, et al. Common heritable contributions to low-risk trauma, high-risk trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012;69(3):293–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Hanson RF, Spratt EG. Reactive attachment disorder: what we know about the disorder and implications for treatment. Child Maltreat. 2000;5(2):137–45.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Oberlander SE, Wang Y, Lewis T, et al. Childhood maltreatment, emotional distress, and early adolescent sexual intercourse: multi-informant in perspectives on parental monitoring. J Fam Psychol. 2011;25(6):885–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Rauch SL, Whalen PJ, Shin LM, McInerney SC, Macklin ML, Lasko NB, et al. Exaggerated amygdala response to masked facial stimuli in posttraumatic stress disorder: a functional MRI study. Biol Psychiatry. 2000;47:769–76.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Simmons A, Paulus MP, Thorp SR, Matthews SC, Norman SB, Stein MB. Functional activation and neural networks in women with posttraumatic stress disorder related to intimate partner violence. Biol Psychiatry. 2008;64(8):681–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Kilpatrick DG, Koenen KC, Ruggiero KJ, Acierno R, Galea S, Resnick HS, et al. The serotonin transporter genotype and social support and moderation of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in hurricane-exposed adults. Am J Psychiatry. 2007;164:1693–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Stein MB, Campbell-Sills L, Gelernter J. Genetic variation in 5HTTLPR is associated with emotional resilience. Am J Med Genet Part B: Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2009;150B(7):900–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Edmiston EE, Wang F, Mazure CM, et al. Corticostriatal-limbic gray matter morphology in adolescents with self-reported exposure to childhood trauma. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011;165(12):1069–77.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Shea A, Walsh C, MacMillan H, Steiner M. Childhood maltreatment and HPA axis dysregulation: relationship to major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder in females. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2004;30:162–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Stevenson J. The treatment of the long-term sequelae of child abuse. J Child Psychol Psychiatry Allied Discip. 1999;40(1):89–111.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Chaffin M, Funderburk B, Bard D. A combined motivation and parent–child interaction therapy package reduces child welfare recidivism in a randomized dismantling field trial. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2011;79:84–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Thomlinson B. Characteristics of evidence-based child maltreatment interventions. Child Welf. 2003;82:541–69.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Byers M, Allison K, Wendel C, Lee J. Prazosin versus quetiapine for nighttime posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in veterans: an assessment of long-term comparative effectiveness and safety. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2010;30(3):225–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Fraleigh L, Hendratta V, Ford J, Connor D. Prazosin for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder-related nightmares in an adolescent male. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2009;19(4):475–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. McPherson P, Scribano P, Stevens J. Barriers to successful treatment completion in child sexual abuse survivors. J Interpersonal Violence. 2012;27(1):23–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Boynton L, Bentley J, Strachan E, et al. Preliminary finding concerning the use of prazosin for the treatment of posttraumatic nightmares in a refugee population. J Psychiatr Pract. 2009;15(6):454–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. PTSD in Children and Teens. 2011. www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/ptsd-children-adolescents.asp.

  45. Hawkins S, Radcliffe J. Current measures of PTSD for children and adolescents. J Pediatr Psychol. 2006;31(4):420–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Strawn J, DelBello M, Geracioti T. Prazosin treatment of an adolescent with posttraumatic stress disorder. J Child Adolesc Pschopharmacol. 2009;19(5):599–600.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Taylor F, Martin P, Thompson C, et al. Prazosin effects on objective sleep measures and clinical symptoms in civilian trauma PTSD: a placebo-controlled study. Biol Psychiatry. 2008;63(6):629–32.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Dierks M, Jordan J, Sheehan A. Prazosin treatment of nightmares related to posttraumatic stress disorder. Ann Pharmacother. 2007;41:1013–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Disclosure

No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Daniolos.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Child and Adolescent Disorders

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Buckingham, E.T., Daniolos, P. Longitudinal Outcomes for Victims of Child Abuse. Curr Psychiatry Rep 15, 342 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-012-0342-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-012-0342-3

Keywords

Navigation