Child Maltreatment and Long-Term Physical and Mental Health Outcomes: An Exploration of Biopsychosocial Determinants and Implications for Prevention

Abstract

Child maltreatment rates remain unacceptably high and rates are likely to escalate as COVID-related economic problems continue. A comprehensive and evidence-building approach is needed to prevent, detect and intervene where child maltreatment occurs. This review identifies key challenges in definitions, overviews the latest data on prevalence rates, reviews risk and protective factors, and examines common long-term mental health outcomes for children who experience maltreatment. The review takes a systems approach to child maltreatment outcomes through its focus on the overall burden of disease, gene-environment interactions, neurobiological mechanisms and social ecologies linking maltreatment to mental ill-health. Five recommendations relating to the accurate measurement of trends, research on brain structures and processes, improving the reach and impact of teleservices for detecting, preventing and treating child maladjustment, community-based approaches, and building population-focused multidisciplinary alliances and think tanks are presented.

The evaluation of the relationship between childhood traumas and smoking addiction

“…Tobacco use is the most common preventable cause of death. Various studies have been conducted on the relationship between smoking addiction and childhood traumas and various psychosocial factors [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. In this study, the level of cigarette addiction and the relationship between this addiction and childhood trauma were investigated.…”

“…Neglect involves parental or caregiver omissions to provide the necessities of life, as suited to the child's developmental stage, and as recognised by the child's cultural context. Neglect includes multiple dimensions, including physical, emotional, medical, environmental, supervisory, and educational neglect [4][5][6].…”

Building Trauma Informed Teachers: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study of Remote Primary School Teachers’ Experiences With Children Living With the Effects of Complex Childhood Trauma

“…Complex childhood trauma is understood as arising from a child's exposure to multiple, severe, and adverse interpersonal events and circumstances in the childhood years (National Child Traumatic Stress Network [NCTSN], 2014). These conditions are known to have a pervasive effect upon children's development and educational and life outcomes (Cummings et al, 2017;Mehta et al, 2021;Downey and Crummy, 2022).…”

“…Children impacted by trauma in remote communities may arrive at school with elevated stress levels and associated challenges with self-regulation and attention which are known to impede the capacity to learn (Howard, 2013;Mehta et al, 2021). They may not feel safe in classrooms (Sitler, 2009;O'Neill et al, 2010;Shalka, 2015) which can result in challenging behaviors that can impact the learning of other children (Porche et al, 2011;Howard, 2013;Ban and Oh, 2016;Brunzell et al, 2016).…”

Becoming a mother shifts the activity of the social and motivation brain networks in mice

“…Maternal behaviors are strongly adaptive, as they promote survival of the offspring until reproductive age and ensure proper neurodevelopment of pups ( Curley and Champagne, 2016 ). Conversely, parental neglect or mistreatment has devastating effects on development and health of the offspring ( Mehta et al., 2021 ). Understanding the neuroendocrine mechanisms of maternal care would therefore help avoiding maternal neglect and ensuring proper maternal care, promoting mental and physical health of both mothers and future generations ( Kundakovic and Champagne, 2015 ).…”