The Australian child maltreatment study: the association between child maltreatment and selected mental health disorders

Abstract

Background: The cost of mental health problems for the Australian economy is large. Adversity in childhood is associated with the onset of mental disorders, which have significant personal, societal and economic impact. Objectives: To estimate the associations between child maltreatment and four common mental disorders (major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder). Methods: Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) cross-sectional data were used to examine associations between self-reported child maltreatment and mental disorder diagnoses as assessed by a structured diagnostic interview: the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Findings: This paper presents the first Australian national prevalence estimates for four key psychiatric disorders (major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder) as assessed by the MINI. It also examines the associations between child maltreatment and each diagnosis both with and without controlling for multi-type maltreatment. Clear patterns were found whereby maltreatment was related to increased odds of all mental disorders. Gender effects will also be reported. Detailed results are embargoed until March 2022 but have been submitted for publication and will be available for sharing during this symposium. Conclusion: Child maltreatment is associated with an increased risk of mental illness. The prevention of child maltreatment via public health approaches is critical to reducing mental illness in Australia.