Childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and childhood emotional neglect (CEN) are the least well-studied forms of childhood maltreatment due to challenges in their definition and in detection. However, the available evidence suggests associations with multiple adulthood mental health problems in clinical and non-clinical populations. This systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO registration number CRD42020197833) explored the associations between CEA and CEN and a range of adulthood mental health problems based on systematic searches of eight databases. In total, 79 English and 11 Chinese studies met our inclusion criteria. Results suggested that CEA and CEN had positive associations with various adulthood mental health problems ( d = 0.02–1.84), including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal ideation or attempts, personality disorders, eating disorders, and other psychological symptoms in the general population and across different geographic regions. Furthermore, findings suggested that compared with the non-clinical population, individuals in clinical populations were more likely to have experienced emotional abuse and neglect during childhood. The review highlights the need for more research on emotional abuse and emotional neglect. Furthermore, future research should include more populations from non-western countries and non-college populations. They further underline the importance of addressing issues related to CEA/CEN experiences in the prevention and treatment of mental health issues in adulthood.
Background: Research suggests that maternal exposure to childhood adversity is associated with substance use during pregnancy and poor infant outcomes (i.e., premature birth, low birth weight). However, to date, no systematic review has synthesised the effect of ACEs on these three outcomes. Method: The framework for this review will be adapted from the guidelines laid out in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. The electronic databases to be searched will include: PubMed, SCOPUS, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and CINAHL and will be carried out by one reviewer. Studies that fit the pre-specified eligibility criteria will be screened, assessed, and extracted independently by two reviewers with discrepancies to be resolved by a third reviewer. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cross-sectional and cohort studies will be used to critically evaluate the methodological quality of the selected studies. If a sufficient number of studies are found to be comparable, a meta-analysis will be conducted using a random effects model.Discussion: This review will provide supporting evidence on the body of literature exploring the long-term and intergenerational consequences of adverse childhood experiences. The results of the review can help inform policies and interventions related to maternal health as well as early childhood development. The gaps identified in the review can also help inform recommendations for future research.
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