Associations between Chronicity of Childhood Maltreatment and Late Adolescent Mental Health and Risk Behaviors

There is consistent evidence demonstrating adverse outcomes for maltreated youth. However, a more nuanced understanding is needed that outlines the ways in which the various attributes of childhood maltreatment experiences such as type (i.e., sexual abuse [SA], physical abuse [PA], emotional abuse [EA], and physical neglect [PN]) and timing (e.g., chronicity, age of onset, duration) may differentially relate to deleterious consequences later in life. The purpose of the current study was to examine the association between chronicity of childhood SA, PA, EA, and PN and late adolescent mental health (depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms) and risk behaviors (person offenses, property offenses, and substance use and dependence). Participants (n = 351, Mage = 18.25 years, 49.9% female) self-reported maltreatment that occurred prior to age 18 for each maltreatment type. Chronicity (i.e., number of developmental periods of maltreatment; 0–5, 6–10, 11–17 years) was assigned for each type; 0 periods = no maltreatment, 1 period = limited, 2 + periods = chronic. Adolescent outcomes included self-report depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, delinquency (person and property offenses), and substance abuse/dependence (SAD). MANCOVA was used to test the main effect of maltreatment chronicity (separately for SA, PA, EA, PN) on adolescent mental health and risk behaviors, controlling for child gender and age at T4. Mental health results indicated that chronic SA, PA, and EA were associated with higher depressive and PTSD symptoms compared to no maltreatment. Depressive symptoms were also higher among those with chronic SA in comparison to limited SA. Those with limited EA reported higher anxiety symptoms than no maltreatment. Risk behavior results indicated that both chronic and limited PA and EA were associated with higher SAD symptoms than no maltreatment. Both measures of delinquency were higher among those with chronic PA, while only person offenses were higher among individuals with chronic EA as compared to other groups. There were no significant effects for PN chronicity for any of the outcomes. Chronic childhood SA, PA, and EA that spans more than one developmental period was associated with greater risk for mental health symptoms, delinquency, and SAD in adolescence than shorter-term maltreatment.