Childhood Abuse and Depression

Childhood abuse victims 'twice as likely' to suffer from lifetime of depression

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 9:51 AM on 15th August 2011

People who were abused as children are twice as likely to suffer from depression, new research shows.

They are also less likely to respond to depression treatments.

Scientists examined data from 26 separate studies involving more than 23,000 participants.

Blighted: People who were abused as a child are twice as likely to suffer depression as an adult, a news study shows

The research was carried out by a team from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London.

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Lead investigator Dr Andrea Danese said: 'Identifying those at risk of multiple and long-lasting depressive episodes is crucial from a public health perspective.

DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS

Depression is a state of low mood that affects a person's thoughts and behaviour.

Depressed people may lose interest in activities they once enjoyed, they may experience loss or appetite or overeating, insomnia or excessive sleeping, loss of energy, aches, pains, digestive problems and have trouble concentrating, remembering details or making decisions.

They may feel worthless, guilty, irritable, restless, sad or anxious.

And they may even contemplate suicide.

Between 5 and 10 per cent of the population suffer from the illness at any one time, according to Dr Ciaran Mulholland of the UK's Medical Research Council.

Over a lifetime you have a 20 per cent chance of having an episode of depression and women are twice as likely to get it as men.

The illness can be triggered by stressful life events, other illnesses, drug treatments and recreational drugs.

Genes or early life experiences may also make people vulnerable.

But it can also strike for no apparent reason.

Treatments vary for different people. Some are give antidepressants while for others, talking with their psychiatrists or psychologist can help.

'The results of our study indicate that childhood maltreatment is associated both with an increased risk of developing recurrent and persistent episodes of depression, and with an increased risk of responding poorly to treatment.

'Therefore, prevention and early therapeutic interventions targeting childhood maltreatment could prove vital in helping prevent the major health burden owing to depression.

'Knowing that individuals with a history of maltreatment won't respond as well to treatment may also be valuable for clinicians in determining patients' prognosis.'

One in 10 children worldwide is exposed to maltreatment including psychological, physical or sexual abuse or neglect.

Previous research has shown that abused individuals are prone to abnormalities in biological systems sensitive to psychological stress both in childhood and adult life.

These may include the brain and hormonal and immune systems.

Dr Danese added: 'The biological abnormalities associated with childhood maltreatment could potentially explain why individuals with a history of maltreatment were found to be more likely than non-maltreated individuals to respond poorly to treatment for depression.'

The research was published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Co-author Dr Rudolf Uher said the study showed anti-depressant medication, psychological treatment and the combination of the two were less effective for child abuse victims.

'Whilst we still do not know exactly what type of treatment may improve the care of maltreated individuals, it may be that new treatments based on the biological vulnerabilities associated with childhood maltreatment could prove an exciting avenue for research.'