Childhood maltreatment responsible for one in five Aussie mental health disorders: study
Dr Cathy Andronis says the findings highlight the need for systemic changes to prevent child abuse and neglect.
Nearly half of all suicide attempts can be directly attributed to child abuse and neglect, researchers report in an Australian-first study.
The University of Sydney–led team also found that childhood maltreatment accounted for a third of self-harm incidents and one in five depression cases.
“For perspective, tobacco smoking accounts for 24% of cancers in US men, and hypertension accounts for 23% of MIs globally,” they wrote in JAMA Psychiatry.
Melbourne GP and psychotherapist Dr Cathy Andronis, who was not involved in the study, said the results — while “not surprising at all” — highlighted the urgency to act to prevent child abuse and neglect.
