Childhood abuse and adult health: Evidence from the Canadian community health survey 2012 – Mental health: Overview

Research has shown that various childhood risk factors are related to increased risk for mental disorders and chronic physical conditions (CPCs) later in life. However, little is known about risk factors associated with... [ view full abstract ]

Research has shown that various childhood risk factors are related to increased risk for mental disorders and chronic physical conditions (CPCs) later in life. However, little is known about risk factors associated with comorbidity for these conditions. Using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health, we examined the association between retrospective reports of childhood maltreatment (physical and sexual abuse, and exposure to intimate partner violence) with mental health problems, chronic pain conditions (migraines and back pain), or other chronic physical conditions (respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive disorders, diabetes and epilepsy) and the comorbidity of CPC categories with mental health problems. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, we found that all types of child abuse were associated with comorbid conditions, including pain and mental disorders, other CPCs and mental disorders, to all three types (adjusted odds ratios ranged from 1.86 to 4.84). Efforts targeting the prevention and treatment of childhood maltreatment are critical in order to prevent the long lasting impact of childhood adversity on mental and physical outcomes later in life.