Childhood Maltreatment and Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Quasi-Experimental Studies

What is it about?

Child maltreatment is associated with mental health problems, but it is unclear whether this association is causal or better explained by other risk factors. This meta-analysis of 34 quasi-experimental studies (including 54,646 individuals) found that child maltreatment had a small association with mental health problems after accounting for confounding. This evidence is consistent with a small causal effect of child maltreatment on mental health. However, the findings also suggest that part of the overall risk of mental health problems in maltreated individuals is due to pre-existing psychiatric risk factors, which should be targeted by interventions.

Featured Image