Sensitive Periods for the Effect of Child Maltreatment on Psychopathology Symptoms in Adolescence.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Child maltreatment is among the strongest risk factors for mental disorders. However, little is known about whether there are ages when children may be especially vulnerable to its effects. We sought to identify potential sensitive periods when exposure to the 2 most common types of maltreatment (neglect and harsh physical discipline) had a particularly detrimental effect on youth mental health.

Methods

Data came from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a birth cohort oversampled from "fragile families" (n = 3,474). Maltreatment was assessed at 3, 5, and 9 years of age using an adapted version of the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-PC). Using least angle regression, we examined the relationship between repeated measures of

SUBMITTER: Dunn EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10601948 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature