Sad Adults -Childhood may Hold the Clue

Children who have been physically abused or neglected in their childhood- before the age of eleven - run a high risk of developing into depressed adults, according to a recent study.

Researchers conducted a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry which involved two sets of children.

This included 680 who were abused and neglected as kids and 520 of others, having equal status of age, sex and social standing.

The children were tracked into an average age of 29 years.

Results drawn depicted that a very significant part of them; 75 percent, grew up into severely depressed adults.

Depression was also observed to begin very early onwards; at childhood itself.

Writes lead researcher Cathy Spatz Widom, "These results underscore the need to detect and treat the long-term psychological (effects) of childhood neglect.”

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Researchers say that this study is the first to show that, depression is a consequence of abuse.

Source-Medindia
SRM