Environmental Factors That Distinguish between Clinical and Healthy Samples with Childhood Experiences of Abuse and Neglect

Abstract

Background: Childhood maltreatment is associated with a wide range of problems in adulthood. However, specific environmental factors (either positive or negative) influence mental health outcomes in maltreated children. The present study investigated the effect of environmental factors by comparing a group of clinical participants with experiences of abuse/neglect with a healthy group with similar patterns of experiences. Environmental factors selected were: separation from parents, financial hardship, parental psychiatric disorders, and low social involvement. Method: The study included 55 mixed clinical participants and 23 healthy participants. All participants were investigated using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) interview. The two groups were specifically matched with regard to patterns of childhood maltreatment. Results: The findings indicated that psychopathological outcome was associated with a greater presence of negative environmental factors (p < 0.001). In particular, lack of social support seemed to be the only one predictor (OR = 27.86). Conclusion: This study is the first to investigate the influence of specific environmental factors in two groups with similar childhood experiences of abuse/neglect but different mental health outcomes. These findings suggest that efforts should be made to incorporate both familial and external sources of social support in promoting mental health for maltreated children.

Environmental Dysfunctions, Childhood Maltreatment and Women’s Intimate Partner Violence Victimization

“…However, this finding is confirmed by the results of other research which has found that only psychological abuse and sexual abuse predict IPV (Berzenski & Yates, 2010; Seedat et al, 2005). This result is consistent with a growing body of studies which has considered psychological abuse as a distinct form of maltreatment with specific and independent consequences (Berzenski & Yates, 2010; Gross & Keller, 1992; Infurna et al, 2015; Paradis & Boucher, 2010) rather than underlying component of all other types of abuse (Brassard, Germain, Hart & Cohn, 1987; Claussen & Critenden, 1991; Garbarino, Guttmann, & Seeley, 1986; Hart & Brassard, 1987).…”

“…A useful consideration may be that psychological abuse as defined by Bifulco, Moran, Baines, et al, (2002) implies extreme levels of control, domination, and disparagement exercised by the parent or another significant toward the child. Other researches have suggested that psychological abuse is an especially insidious type of maltreatment, with long-term effects that surpass other types of childhood abuse such as physical or sexual abuse (Berzenski & Yates, 2010; Gross & Keller, 1992; Infurna et al, 2015; Paradis & Boucher, 2010; Spertus, Yehuda, Wong, Halligan, & Seremetis, 2003). As it is well known, some authors have suggested that psychological maltreatment is an inherent embedded element in all other forms of abuse and that the psychological meanings associated to acts of physical or sexual abuse constitute the real traumas more than the severity of the acts themselves (Claussen & Critenden, 1991; Hart, Binggeli, & Brassard, 1998).…”

“…These findings are consistent with literature that has underlined that factors of developmental context play an important role in explaining outcomes in an individual with a history of childhood maltreatment. They may intensify the negative effects of childhood maltreatment or buffer its adverse impacts and produce effects of their own (Briere & Jordan, 2009; Dube et al, 2003; Hecht & Hansen, 2001; Infurna et al, 2015).…”

Does Childhood Psychological Abuse Contribute to Intimate Partner Violence Victimization? An Investigation Using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Interview

“…Thus, our hypothesis that psychological abuse would show a stronger association with IPV than other types of childhood maltreatment is confirmed: antipathy, neglect, physical abuse, and witnessing violence did not show significant effects on IPV. These results confirm the assumptions of the literature that childhood psychological abuse is significantly associated with IPV (Berzenski & Yates, 2010; Wekerle et al, 2009; Zamir & Lavee, 2014) and support a growing body of research that identifies psychological abuse as a particularly insidious form of childhood abuse, with specific and independent long-term effects (Berzenski & Yates, 2010; Gross & Keller, 1992; Infurna et al, 2015; Paradis & Boucher, 2010) rather than underlying components of all other types of abuse (Claussen & Crittenden, 1991; Garbarino et al, 1986; S. N. Hart & Brassard, 1987; Hart et al, 1987).…”

“…The failure to distinguish specific types of abuse can lead to difficulties when attempting to establish specificity of outcome of abuse experiences (Crittenden, 1985). There is a growing body of studies that has considered psychological abuse as a distinct form of maltreatment with specific and independent consequences (Berzenski & Yates, 2010; Gross & Keller, 1992; Infurna et al, 2015; Paradis & Boucher, 2010) rather than as an underlying component of all other types of abuse (Claussen & Crittenden, 1991; Garbarino, Guttmann, & Seeley, 1986; Hart & Brassard, 1987). The latest findings indicate that relative to other forms of maltreatment (i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse), psychological abuse might be the most pervasive and damaging type of abuse (Hart et al, 1997; McGee, Wolfe, & Wilson, 1997; Riggs, 2010).…”