Toronto, ON, – New research from the University of Toronto has found that childhood neglect, even in the absence of childhood sexual and physical abuse, is linked to a wide range of mental and physical health problems in adulthood.

“While a large body of research has established the negative impact of childhood physical and sexual abuse on adult health outcomes, much less is known about whether neglect, in the absence of abuse, has similar negative outcomes,” said first author Linxiao Zhang . a PhD student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) at the University of Toronto. “Our research underscores the importance of healthcare professionals documenting whether their patients have a history of neglect in addition to other childhood adversities.”

Researchers found significant associations between childhood neglect and numerous health problems in adults when controlling for age, sex, and race. Examples of poor physical health included stroke, asthma and COPD. Disabilities such as hearing impairment, visual impairment, cognitive impairment and mobility problems have also been linked to childhood neglect, as has poor mental health such as depression.

The study, published this week in Child abuse and neglectused a large representative sample of over 41,000 US adults drawn from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey.

Having established a link between childhood neglect and a range of mental and physical health problems, the authors were interested in identifying factors that may promote resilience among those who have experienced neglect. Subsequent research indicated that the relationship between child neglect and adverse health outcomes in adulthood was largely attenuated when controlling for two key factors: the adults’ socioeconomic status and the presence of a supportive adult in childhood.

“It appears that neglected children who manage to stay in school longer and have a reasonable income in adulthood are considerably less vulnerable to health problems later in life than neglected children who are less educated and less secure in financially in adulthood.” said co-author Andie MacNeil, a PhD student at the University of Toronto, FIFSW.

Unfortunately, staying in school longer can be challenging for those experiencing neglect. Previous research has found that childhood adversity is associated with early school leaving and lower earnings in adulthood. In turn, poverty and low levels of education are often associated with more mental and physical health conditions in adulthood.

Children who have a supportive adult in their lives are also more likely to overcome the challenges associated with neglect.

“A protective adult is someone who made the child feel safe and protected in the home,” said co-author Ishnaa Gulati, a recent Master of Public Health graduate of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. “Our findings suggest that this caregiving role can provide essential support to children, even when their basic needs are lacking.”

The authors hope that these findings can help support the well-being of survivors of childhood neglect.

“Although there are still significant differences in health between those with and without a history of neglect, our findings highlight potential ways to help promote better health outcomes among survivors of neglect,” said lead author Esme Fuller-Thomson, Professor at FIFSW and Principal. of the Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto. “These findings underscore the importance of mentoring interventions and other community supports that can promote feelings of safety and confidence among neglected children and to ensure that neglected children have the resources and encouragement to stay in school as long as possible.”

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of press releases posted on EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.