Elsevier

Child Abuse & Neglect

Volume 37, Issue 6, June 2013, Pages 415-425
Child Abuse & Neglect

Child abuse and neglect, social support, and psychopathology in adulthood: A prospective investigation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.02.006Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

To determine whether child abuse and neglect predicts low levels of social support in middle adulthood and understand whether social support acts to mediate or moderate the relationship between childhood abuse and neglect and subsequent outcomes (anxiety, depression, and illicit drug use).

Method

Using data from a prospective cohort design study, children with documented histories of physical and sexual abuse and neglect (ages 0–11) during the years 1967 through 1971 and a matched control group were followed up and interviewed in adulthood. Social support was assessed at mean age 39.5, and anxiety, depression, and illicit drug use at mean age 41.2.

Results

Adjusting for age, sex, and race, individuals with documented histories of child abuse and neglect reported significantly lower levels of social support in adulthood [total (p < .001), appraisal (p < .001), belonging (p < .001), tangible (p < .001), and self-esteem support (p < .01)] than controls. Adjusting for age, sex, race, and prior psychiatric diagnosis, social support mediated the relationship between child abuse and neglect and anxiety and depression in adulthood. Four gender by social support interactions and one three-way [group (abuse/neglect versus control) × tangible social support × gender] interaction moderated levels of anxiety and depression, particularly for males who were more strongly affected by high levels of social support.

Conclusions

Social support plays a significant role in mediating and moderating some long term consequences of childhood maltreatment. Efforts to better understand the timing and mechanisms involved in these relationships are needed to guide preventive interventions and treatment.

Section snippets

Research design and sample

The data used here are from a larger research project based on a cohort design study in which abused and/or neglected children were matched with non-abused, non-neglected children and followed prospectively into middle adulthood. Because of the matching procedure, the subjects are assumed to differ only on the risk factor: that is, having experienced childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. Since it is not possible to randomly assign subjects to groups, the assumption of equivalency

Do abused and neglected children have lower levels of social support in adulthood compared to matched controls?

Table 1 presents the results of analyses comparing the abuse/neglect group overall to controls, and separately for males and females, on levels of social support. As hypothesized, individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment reported significantly lower levels of total social support and specific types of social support. Although the same general pattern was found for males and females, there were two significant group (abuse/neglect versus control) by sex interactions:

Discussion

This is the first prospective longitudinal study to systematically assess whether individuals with documented histories of child abuse and neglect have lower levels of social support and the extent to which social support plays a role in their anxiety, depression, and drug use. Thirty years after experiencing these childhood adversities, our research shows that maltreated individuals in general report significantly lower levels of social support than matched controls and that social support

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    This research was supported in part by grants from NIMH (MH49467 and MH58386), NIJ (86-IJ-CX-0033 and 89-IJ-CX-0007), NICHD (HD40774), NIDA (DA17842 and DA10060), NIAAA (AA09238 and AA11108) and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Points of view are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the United States Department of Justice or National Institutes of Health. We express sincere appreciation to Sally Czaja for statistical assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.

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