Mental health in Norwegian children and adolescents exposed to childhood maltreatment: a comparison to a general population sample

Abstract

The current study aimed to compare mental health outcomes of children and adolescents with maltreatment experiences to a general population sample. A secondary aim was to examine sex differences in mental health outcomes, and the association between polyvictimization and mental health. The two samples were age- and sex-matched, and data was collected from caregiver-reports and self-reports. 1378 participants aged 5 to 18 years were included in the study. Children and adolescents exposed to maltreatment had more mental health problems than the general population sample. Large effect sizes (d ≥ 0.8) were found for emotional problems (d = 1.19), hyperactivity problems (d = 0.88), peer problems (d = 0.86), and the impact score (d = 0.93). A moderate to large effect size was found on the conduct problems subscale (d = 0.68), and a small effect size was found on the prosocial subscale (d = −0.22). There was a dose-response relationship between cumulative maltreatment exposure and the severity of mental health problems. Childhood maltreatment was associated with considerably more emotional problems, hyperactivity problems, and peer problems, which in turn can impact the daily life of the exposed children and adolescents. Effective support measures for maltreated young people must be a priority.