18/03/2025
Childhood abuse and “turning out just fine” myth is busted by research on a very large sample of the population.
Data on a 80,000+ sample has concluded that 55%-90% of adults who have been sexually abused in childhood and 20%-50% of adults who have been physically abused in childhood will experience chronic physical and mental health difficulties during their lifetime. The only major protective factor is a safe and stable adult.
“A new study published this week in Child Maltreatment found that in comparison to those who had not been abused in childhood, adults who had experienced both childhood physical and sexual abuse had approximately double the odds of physical and mental health conditions, including angina, arthritis, asthma, COPD, heart attack, depression, and disability — even after considering respondents’ age, race, income, and health behaviors, as well as obesity.”
Childhood Abuse Doubles Psychiatric and Health Risks
Adults who experienced both physical and sexual abuse in childhood have about twice the risk of chronic health problems, such as heart conditions, asthma, arthritis, and depression.
Even experiencing only one form of abuse significantly raises the likelihood of these adverse health outcomes, though the risk is somewhat lower than with combined abuse.
Crucially, the presence of a protective, supportive adult in the home during childhood can greatly reduce these negative long-term health impacts.
