A secondary analysis of seven cross-sectional surveys of over 20,000 adults in England and Wales found that childhood physical abuse, verbal abuse, or both, significantly increase the risk for poor mental health in adulthood. Participants reported their abuse experiences before age 18 years, and their current mental health was assessed using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Those exposed to physical abuse had a 52% higher likelihood of poor mental health, while verbal abuse increased the risk by 64%. Experiencing both types of abuse raised the risk by 115%. The study highlights the need for interventions addressing both physical and verbal abuse to improve long-term mental health outcomes. No funding information was reported.
The Takeaway: Childhood abuse interventions are crucial for improving adult mental health outcomes.
Cited from Medscape 9/1/25