Child Maltreatment Victims Lose Two Years

On average, victims of child maltreatment lose at least two years of quality of life, University of Georgia researchers said.

Phaedra Corso and colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta analyzed surveys of more than 6,000 people to assess the deficits in quality of life of maltreatment victims.

Childhood maltreatment, which includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect, has been linked to an increased risk for ailments ranging from heart disease, obesity and diabetes to depression and anxiety.

Corso said there are two reasons why. First, childhood maltreatment increases the likelihood of unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, substance abuse and sexual promiscuity. Recent studies suggest that repeated exposure to the stress caused by maltreatment alters brain circuits and hormonal systems, which puts victims at greater risk of chronic health problems.

The study, published in the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health, found that 46 percent of respondents reported some form of maltreatment during childhood. Of those, 26 percent reported physical abuse; 21 percent reported sexual abuse; 10 percent reported emotional abuse; 14 percent reported emotional neglect; and 9 percent reported physical neglect.