Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Impact of early childhood adversities on adult psychiatric disorders

A study of international adoptees

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

This study investigated international adoptees who were taken out of their problematic environments as a consequence of their adoption to determine the effects of early adversities on adult psychiatric disorders, and to study whether these effects emerged de novo after childhood.

Methods

A total of 1,364 adoptees (63.5% of the baseline sample) were followed. Parents provided information about early adversities prior to adoption, and mental health problems in childhood and adolescence. In adulthood, adoptees completed a standardized interview, generating DSM-IV diagnoses.

Results

Children who experienced multiple adversities had an increased risk of having anxiety disorders (OR = 2.22; 95% CI: 1.11–4.45), mood disorders (OR = 2.20; 95% CI: 1.00–4.86) or substance abuse/dependence (OR = 3.81; 95% CI: 1.62–8.98) in adulthood. Several effects remained significant after correction for mental health problems in childhood and adolescence.

Conclusions

Severe early adversities increase the risk of adult psychopathology, even when children are taken out of their problematic environments. Results suggest that psychiatric disorders may arise de novo after childhood due to early experiences.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

  1. Achenbach TM (1991) Manual for the child behavior checklist/4–18 and 1991 profile. University of Vermont, Department op Psychiatry, Burlington

    Google Scholar 

  2. Andrews G, Peters L (1998) The psychometric properties of the composite international diagnostic interview. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 33:80–88

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Arnow BA (2004) Relationships between childhood maltreatment, adult health and psychiatric outcomes, and medical utilization. J Clin Psychiatry 65(Suppl 12):10–15

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Arrindell WA, Sanavio E, Aguilar G, Sica C, Hatzichristou C, Eisemann M, Recinos LA, Gaszner P, Peter M, Battagliese G, Kállai J, Van der Ende J (1999) The development of a short form of the EMBU: its appraisal with students in Greece, Guatemala, Hungary and Italy. Pers Individ Differ 27:613–628

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bulik CM, Prescott CA, Kendler KS (2001) Features of childhood sexual abuse and the development of psychiatric and substance use disorders. Br J Psychiatry 179:444–449

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Carlson EB, Furby L, Armstrong J, Schlaes J (1997) A conceptual framework for the long-term psychological effects of traumatic childhood abuse. Child Maltreatment 2:272–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Caspi A, Sugden K, Moffitt TE, Taylor A, Craig IW, Harrington H, McClay J, Mill J, Martin J, Braithwaite A, Poulton R (2003) Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene. Science 301:386–389

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cederblad M, Höök B, Irhammar M, Mercke AM (1999) Mental health in international adoptees as teenagers and young adults: an epidemiological study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 40:1239–1248

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Costello EJ, Compton SN, Keeler G, Angold A (2003) Relationships between poverty and psychopathology: a natural experiment. JAMA 290:2023–2029

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Dinwiddie S, Heath AC, Dunne MP, Bucholz KK, Madden PA, Slutske WS, Bierut LJ, Statham DB, Martin NG (2000) Early sexual abuse and lifetime psychopathology: a co-twin-control study. Psychol Med 30:41–52

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Dutch Ministry of Justice (2008) Adoption: trends and analyses. Dutch Department of Justice, The Hague

  12. Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D, Williamson DF, Spitz AM, Edwards V, Koss MP, Marks JS (1998) Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study. Am J Prev Med 14:245–258

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Fensbo C (2004) Mental and behavioural outcome of inter-ethnic adoptees: a review of the literature. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 13:55–63

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ, Lynskey MT (1996) Childhood sexual abuse and psychiatric disorder in young adulthood: II. Psychiatric outcomes of childhood sexual abuse. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 35:1365–1374

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gunnar MR, Fisher PA (2006) Bringing basic research on early experience and stress neurobiology to bear on preventive interventions for neglected and maltreated children. Dev Psychopathol 18:651–677

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Gunnar MR, Bruce J, Grotevant HD (2000) International adoption of institutionally reared children: research and policy. Dev Psychopathol 12:677–693

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Horwitz AV, Widom CS, McLaughlin J, White HR (2001) The impact of childhood abuse and neglect on adult mental health: a prospective study. J Health Soc Behav 42:184–201

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Hudson CG (2005) Socioeconomic status and mental illness: tests of the social causation and selection hypotheses. Am J Orthopsychiatry 75:3–18

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Jaffee SR, Moffitt TE, Caspi A, Fombonne E, Poulton R, Martin J (2002) Differences in early childhood risk factors for juvenile-onset and adult-onset depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 59:215–222

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Keiley MK, Howe TR, Dodge KA, Bates JE, Petti GS (2001) The timing of child physical maltreatment: a cross-domain growth analysis of impact on adolescent externalizing and internalizing problems. Dev Psychopathol 13:891–912

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kendler KS, Bulik CM, Silberg J, Hettema JM, Myers J, Prescott CA (2000) Childhood sexual abuse and adult psychiatric and substance use disorders in women: an epidemiological and cotwin control analysis. Arch Gen Psychiatry 57:953–959

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Kessler RC, Davis CG, Kendler KS (1997) Childhood adversity and adult psychiatric disorder in the US National Comorbidity Survey. Psychol Med 27:1101–1119

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Luterek JA, Harb GC, Heimberg RG, Marx BP (2004) Interpersonal rejection sensitivity in childhood sexual abuse survivors: mediator of depressive symptoms and anger suppression. J Interpers Violence 19:90–107

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Lynskey MT, Fergusson DM (1997) Factors protecting against the development of adjustment difficulties in young adults exposed to childhood sexual abuse. Child Abuse Negl 21:1177–1190

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. MacMillan HL, Fleming JE, Streiner DL, Lin E, Boyle MH, Jamieson E, Duku EK, Walsh CA, Wong MY, Beardslee WR (2001) Childhood abuse and lifetime psychopathology in a community sample. Am J Psychiatry 158:1878–1883

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Mullen PE, Martin JL, Anderson JC, Romans SE, Herbison GP (1996) The long-term impact of the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children: a community study. Child Abuse Negl 20:7–21

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Nelson EC, Heath AC, Madden PA, Cooper ML, Dinwiddie SH, Bucholz KK, Glowinski A, McLaughlin T, Dunne MP, Statham DJ, Martin NG (2002) Association between self-reported childhood sexual abuse and adverse psychosocial outcomes: results from a twin study. Arch Gen Psychiatry 59:139–145

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Perris C, Jacobsson L, Lindström H, Von Knorring L, Perris H (1980) Development of a new inventory assessing memories of parental rearing behaviour. Acta Psychiatr Scand 61:265–274

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Pirkola S, Isometsä E, Aro H, Kestilä L, Hämäläinen J, Veijola J, Kiviruusu O, Lönnqvist J (2005) Childhood adversities as risk factors for adult mental disorders: results from the Health 2000 study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 40:769–777

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Plomin R, Fulker DW, Corley R, DeFries JC (1997) Nature, nurture, and cognitive development from 1 to 16 years: a parent-offspring adoption study. Psychol Sci 8:442–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Robins LN, Cottler L, Bucholtz K, Compton W (1997) National Institute of mental health diagnostic interview schedule, version IV (DIS-IV). Washington University, Department of Psychiatry, St. Louis

    Google Scholar 

  32. Rutter M, O’Connor TG (2004) Are there biological programming effects for psychological development? Findings from a study of Romanian adoptees. Dev Psychol 40:81–94

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Sánchez MM, Noble PM, Lyon CK, Plotsky PM, Davis M, Nemeroff CB, Winslow JT (2005) Alterations in diurnal cortisol rhythm and acoustic startle response in nonhuman primates with adverse rearing. Biol Psychiatry 57:373–381

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Selman P (2002) Intercountry adoption in the new millennium; the “the quiet migration” revisited. Popul Res Policy Rev 21:205–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Teicher MH, Tomoda A, Andersen SL (2006) Neurobiological consequences of early stress and childhood maltreatment: are results from human and animal studies comparable? Ann NY Acad Sci 1071:313–323

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Tieman W, Van der Ende J, Verhulst FC (2005) Psychiatric disorders in young adult intercountry adoptees: an epidemiological study. Am J Psychiatry 162:592–598

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Turner RJ, Lloyd DA (2004) Stress burden and the lifetime incidence of psychiatric disorder in young adults: racial and ethnic contrasts. Arch Gen Psychiatry 61:481–488

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Van der Vegt EJM, Van der Ende J, Ferdinand RF, Verhulst FC, Tiemeier H (2008) Early childhood adversities and trajectories of psychiatric problems in adoptees: evidence for long lasting effects. J Child Abnorm Psychol

    Google Scholar 

  39. Van Westerlaak JH, Kropman JA, Collaris JWM (1975) Beroepenklapper (manual for occupational level). Institute for Applied Sociology, Nijmegen

    Google Scholar 

  40. Verhulst FC, Versluis-den Bieman HJ (1995) Developmental course of problem behaviors in adolescent adoptees. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 34:151–159

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Verhulst FC, Althaus M, Versluis-den Bieman HJ (1990) Problem behavior in international adoptees: I. An epidemiological study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 29:94–103

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Verhulst FC, Althaus M, Versluis-den Bieman HJ (1992) Damaging backgrounds: later adjustment of international adoptees. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 31:518–524

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Verhulst FC, Van der Ende J, Koot HM (1996) Handleiding voor de CBCL/4–18 [Manual for the CBCL/4–18]. Erasmus University, Sophia’s Children’s Hospital, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rotterdam

    Google Scholar 

  44. World Health Organization (1993) Composite international diagnostic interview (CIDI), core version 1.1. WHO, Geneva

Download references

Acknowledgments

The study was supported by a grant from the Sophia Foundation for Medical Research (SSWO-2002-427). Additional funding was obtained from the Dutch Ministry of Justice (OE-404/1.98).

Declaration of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC-Sophia, P.O. Box 2060, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Esther J. M. van der Vegt PhD, Wendy Tieman PhD, Jan van der Ende MS, Robert F. Ferdinand MD, PhD, Frank C. Verhulst MD, PhD & Henning Tiemeier MD, PhD

  2. Centre for Child and Family studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Wendy Tieman PhD

  3. Dept. of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Henning Tiemeier MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Esther J. M. van der Vegt PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wendy Tieman PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jan van der Ende MS
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Robert F. Ferdinand MD, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Frank C. Verhulst MD, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Henning Tiemeier MD, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henning Tiemeier MD, PhD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van der Vegt, E.J.M., Tieman, W., van der Ende, J. et al. Impact of early childhood adversities on adult psychiatric disorders. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 44, 724–731 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0494-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0494-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation