TY - JOUR
T1 - Developmental consequences of emotional abuse and neglect in vulnerable adolescents
T2 - A multi-informant, multi-wave study
AU - Cohen, Joseph R.
AU - Thakur, Hena
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Background: Extant research and theory posit that emotional abuse and emotional neglect-exposure is uniquely harmful during adolescence. Yet, these findings are mostly based on mono-informant, retrospective studies with unselected adults that examine emotional maltreatment in the aggregate. This prevents inferences concerning the unique, prospective risk emotional abuse and neglect, as reported by multiple informants, may confer within at-risk, adolescent samples. Objective: In response, the present study examined how emotional abuse and emotional neglect-exposure in adolescence uniquely related to psychological symptoms and social impairment. Participants and Setting: Our aims were tested in a child welfare system (CWS)-involved sample of adolescents (N = 657; AgeM = 12.49 at baseline) who were participating in a longitudinal study. Methods: A multi-informant approach was used to assess emotional abuse/neglect and mental health. Physical abuse and lifetime CWS contact represented covariates in growth curve models. Results: Emotional abuse predicted symptoms within informant, such that youth-reported emotional abuse predicted youth-reported internalizing, β = 0.21, p = .001, and externalizing, β=0.35, p = .001, symptoms while parent-reported emotional abuse predicted parent-reported externalizing, β=0.30, p < .001, and internalizing β=0.29, p < .001, symptoms. Meanwhile, youth-reported emotional neglect predicted heightened self-reported internalizing symptoms, β=0.29, p < .001, parent-reported externalizing symptoms, β=0.15, p = .002 and social impairment across youth, β=-0.17, p = .01 and parent, β=-0.24, p < .001, report. Conclusions: This study shows the importance of distinguishing between these maltreatment subtypes in adolescence and provides measurement recommendations for future maltreatment research. The manuscript concludes by discussing adolescent emotional abuse and neglect-exposure as a maintenance, as opposed to causal risk, factors.
AB - Background: Extant research and theory posit that emotional abuse and emotional neglect-exposure is uniquely harmful during adolescence. Yet, these findings are mostly based on mono-informant, retrospective studies with unselected adults that examine emotional maltreatment in the aggregate. This prevents inferences concerning the unique, prospective risk emotional abuse and neglect, as reported by multiple informants, may confer within at-risk, adolescent samples. Objective: In response, the present study examined how emotional abuse and emotional neglect-exposure in adolescence uniquely related to psychological symptoms and social impairment. Participants and Setting: Our aims were tested in a child welfare system (CWS)-involved sample of adolescents (N = 657; AgeM = 12.49 at baseline) who were participating in a longitudinal study. Methods: A multi-informant approach was used to assess emotional abuse/neglect and mental health. Physical abuse and lifetime CWS contact represented covariates in growth curve models. Results: Emotional abuse predicted symptoms within informant, such that youth-reported emotional abuse predicted youth-reported internalizing, β = 0.21, p = .001, and externalizing, β=0.35, p = .001, symptoms while parent-reported emotional abuse predicted parent-reported externalizing, β=0.30, p < .001, and internalizing β=0.29, p < .001, symptoms. Meanwhile, youth-reported emotional neglect predicted heightened self-reported internalizing symptoms, β=0.29, p < .001, parent-reported externalizing symptoms, β=0.15, p = .002 and social impairment across youth, β=-0.17, p = .01 and parent, β=-0.24, p < .001, report. Conclusions: This study shows the importance of distinguishing between these maltreatment subtypes in adolescence and provides measurement recommendations for future maltreatment research. The manuscript concludes by discussing adolescent emotional abuse and neglect-exposure as a maintenance, as opposed to causal risk, factors.
KW - Adolescence
KW - Assessment
KW - Impairment
KW - Maltreatment
KW - Psychopathology
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U2 - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104811
DO - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104811
M3 - Article
C2 - 33234389
AN - SCOPUS:85096501211
SN - 0145-2134
VL - 111
JO - Child Abuse and Neglect
JF - Child Abuse and Neglect
M1 - 104811
ER -