Memories of Child Abuse May Affect Mental Health More Than Abuse

July 10, 2023 — According to a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Researchers from King’s College London and the City University of New York studied 1,196 people up to the age of 40, some from a county in the US Midwest who had court documents showing that they had experienced physical or sexual abuse between 1967 and 1971 and another group with no reported experience of abuse. They were asked about their self-reported memories of being abused as children and about their current and past mental health.

Study participants who, around age 29, reported memories of abuse experienced before age 12 had a higher number of depressive or anxiety episodes over the decade next than people who did not recall any abuse, even if an official court record showed they were abused, according to the study.

People who had a court record showing that they had been abused, but who had no memory of the abuse, had about the same number of depressive or anxiety episodes as people who did not. were not abused as children, according to the study.

“Our study reveals that how a person perceives and remembers childhood experiences of abuse or neglect has greater implications for future emotional distress than the experience itself,” said Andrea Danese of King’s College and co-author of the study. Press release.

“The results show that, even in the absence of documented evidence of childhood maltreatment, clinicians can use information provided by their clients to identify those most at risk for later mental health problems. The results also suggest that early interventions that help cope with memories of abuse and/or neglect can prevent emotional problems later.”