17 Aug All-Cause Mortality Increased in Women With History of Child Abuse

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Edith Chen

Edith Chen, Ph.D. Professor
Faculty Fellow, Institute for Policy Research
Northwestern University
Department of Psychology
Evanston, IL 60208-2710

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Previous research has documented psychiatric consequences of childhood abuse, but less is known about possible physical health consequences.

The main finding is that women who self-reported childhood abuse (in adulthood) were at greater risk for all-cause mortality compared to those who did not report abuse.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: One take-away message is that it is important for us to consider not just the psychological consequences of childhood abuse, but also the possibility that there may be physical health consequences of abuse.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: The present study had to rely on participants’ self-reports of abuse. In future research, it would be important to have court-verified cases of abuse and follow those children over decades to monitor the development of diseases.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

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Last Updated on August 17, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD