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Child sexual abuse, poor parental care and adult depression: evidence for different mechanisms

Department of Psychiatry, University of Liverpool

ANDREW PICKLES, PhD

School of Epidemiology and Health Sciences and Centre for Census and Survey Research, University of Manchester

ELIZABETH BURNSIDE, BSc, MARIE BYATT, MA, LYNN ROLLINSON, BSc, RACHEL DAVIS, MRCPsych and KATIE HARVEY, BSc

Department of Psychiatry, University of Liverpool, UK

Correspondence: Jonathan Hill, Child Mental Health Unit, Mulberry House, Alder Hey Hospital, Eaton Road, Liverpool LI2 2AP, UK. E-mail: jonathan.hill{at}liverpool.ac.uk

Declaration of interest This study was supported by an MRC Project Grant (G9304757) to J.H.

See editorial, pp. 93–94, this issue.

Background Child sexual abuse (CSA) and poor parental care (neglect and institutional care) are associated with depression in adult life. Little is known about possible mechanisms underlying these associations.

Aims To examine the role of adult intimate-love relationships as differential mediators or moderators of the associations between CSA, poor parental care and adult depression.

Method Sampling was carried out in two phases. In the first, questionnaires were sent to women aged 25-36 years in five primary care practices. Second-phase subjects for interview (n=198) were drawn from three strata defined on the basis of childhood adversities. Recalled childhood experiences and recent adult relationships and depression were assessed and rated independently. Frequencies of predictor and response variables, effect estimates and their confidence intervals were weighted back to the general population questionnaire sample.

Results The risk for depression associated with CSA was unaffected by quality of adult relationships, while the risk associated with poor parental care was substantially altered.

Conclusions There may be different pathways linking CSA and poor parental care to adult depression.

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