Methodology The method that is being used to observe the impact of child abuse on mental health in older adults (aged 65 and older) is quantitative research . By using the quantitative research design, researchers are able to get a numeric answer to this research question. The researcher is trying to figure out how previous child abuse affects a person during this age group (65& up) and how it affects their mental health as well. Thorough research has been conducted on the impact of childhood abuse on younger adults, or adults younger than age 65 (Sullivan, T. P. et al, 2006; Chartier, M.J., Walker, J.R., Nalmark, B. 2009). However, due to the lack of research on the impact of childhood abuse on older adults ages 65 and above, this research will be an exploratory design. Exploratory research is done when there is little literature on a topic (Krysik & Finn, 2013). Under the pre-experimental research design, this experiment will be a one-shot case study (Krysik & Finn, 2013). No intervention will be used in the experiment, since we are just trying to learn how previous child abuse affects the participants mental health. Sampling Plan With the general research question as “What is the impact of child abuse on mental health among older adults?“ the population is adults 65 and older who experienced sexual, physical, or emotional abuse as a child. This population is a protected population because of the individual’s experience with child abuse, as well as their state of mental health. Due to the unknown number of people who fit into this population, it would be a necessity to study a sample. The sample will come from Jacksonville, Florida. Due to the invisibility of the population, a sampling frame can not be developed. Without the ... ... middle of paper ... ...Bad (3) Neutral (4) Good (5) Exceptional B. Teenage ( age 13-17) 1) Very Bad (2) Bad (3) Neutral (4) Good (5) Exceptional C. Early Adulthood (age 18-29) 1) Very Bad (2) Bad (3) Neutral (4) Good (5) Exceptional D. Middle Adulthood (age 30-50) 1) Very Bad (2) Bad (3) Neutral (4) Good (5) Exceptional E. Late Adulthood (age 51-64) 1) Very Bad (2) Bad (3) Neutral (4) Good (5) Exceptional 3. How would you rank your mental health currently Please circle one of the following: 1) Very Bad (2) Bad (3) Neutral (4) Good (5) Exceptional References Chartier, M.J., Walker, J.R., Nalmark, B. (2009). Health Risk Behaviors and Mental Health Problems as Mediators of the Relationship Between Childhood Abuse and Adult Health, 847-854 Krysik, J. L. & Finn, J. (2013). Research for effective social work practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
Child abuse is a serious issue in today's society. Many people have been victims of child abuse. There are three forms of child abuse: physical, emotional, and sexual. Many researchers believe that sexual abuse is the most detremental of the three. A middle-aged adult who is feeling depressed will probably not relate it back to his childhood, but maybe he should. The short-term effects of childhood sexual abuse have been proven valid, but now the question is, do the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse affect middle-aged adults? Many contradicting views arise from the subject of childhood sexual abuse. Researchers and psychologists argue on this issue. Childhood sexual abuse has the potential to damage a child physically, emotionally, and behaviorally for the rest of his or her childhood, and the effects have been connected to lasting into middle-aged adulthood.
Greenfield, E. A. (2010). Child abuse as a life-course social determinant of adult health. Maturitas, 66(1), 51-55.
Warshaw, C., Sullivan, C., & Rivera, E. (2013, February). Domestic violence and other lifetime trauma can have significant mental health consequences. Retrieved October 27, 2017, from http://www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org/
Studies linking early childhood experiences to adult health outcomes are well represented in developmental literature.While research has solidified a significant relation between childhood maltreatment and poor adult health specifically, there has been a limited understanding of the mechanisms that explain this association. The article under review attempts to identify the pathways between childhood abuse and poor adult health and health care utilization, suggesting that risky health behaviors and mental health problems mediate this relation. Though the article offers unprecedented insights into the reasons why early childhood abuse appears to predict poor outcomes in later adult health, there are concerns over the methods and design of the study. The cross-sectional design inhibits longitudinal examination of participants, thus limiting assumptions that can be made about long term effects of childhood experiences. Homeless and institutionalized populations were not represented in the mediation analyses, though rates of childhood abuse, mental health problems, and risky health behaviors are high in such groups. The mediation analyses testing the association between childhood abuse, health indicators, and health outcomes controlled for demographic of participants only. However, age of participant is a confounding variable that may influence the rate at which participants utilize health care services. Regardless of such concerns, the article under review represents an innovative approach to understanding developmental health outcomes, and has allowed for well-informed policies that protect youth against poor health in adulthood.
Thompson, N (2005) Understanding Social Work: Preparing for Practice, Palgrave, MacMillan (Second Edition) Hampshire (Supplementary Course Reader)
Adult development is crucial to the success of an individual and their quality of life. But there are many factors that can delay a person from reaching certain milestones. When accessing a person who has experienced child abuse, these delays become prominent. Because individuals have to suffer trauma during childhood development, these events can cause lifelong issues. One of the major issues that develop is that of mental health disorders. These disorders ultimately have both lasting results and can correlate to other major issues. From the beginning, because of the lack of establishing healthy emotional bonds with adults, it can often cause mental health disorders. These mental health and attachment disorders can continue to affect the developmental process in adulthood in the areas of maintaining maintaining healthy relationships. Gainful
A strong incidence of long-term psychological problems exists for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. George (1996) found that adults who had experienced childhood sexual abuse were twice as likely to suffer from mental health disorder when compared to their counterparts who were nor abuse.
Yet there hasn’t been much in the form of the correlation between the two. In the article, Direct and Indirect Effects of Child Abuse and Environmental Stress: A Lifecourse Perspective on Adversity and Depressive Symptoms, it performed a longitudinal study of 365 people who had been physically abused as children and followed them into adulthood to see the direct or interrelated risks to diminish mental health over time. Their goal was, “To assess whether chronic physical child abuse remains an independent predictor of adult outcomes once we accounted for the cumulative effects of household and neighborhood stressors across the lifecourse” (1). They found that there is indeed a statistical significance in that, “There is evidence that child abuse and environmental stressors such as neighborhood conflict or family mental illness and substance abuse are conceptually separable and independently predictive of mental health and behavioral outcomes” (2). There was also evidence that children who experience chronic physical abuse form extreme stress, anxiety, and depression as adults. Environmental factors also affect abuse in general. Families that live in poverty, have a higher propensity to have abuse in the home. There is also evidence that children that come from single-parent homes are abused more. Occupation, income, and even education are all indicators of higher abuse rates. It was found that when
Effects can vary from health issues to developmental and emotional impairments. According to the Centers for Control and Prevention (CDC), survivors of child maltreatment suffer from health effects their entire lives, facing an estimated $32,648 in medical expenses as children and roughly $10,530 as adults. Reaffirming these assertions is the Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the U.S. Children’s Bureau, which reports that people who were abused as children generally experience poorer physical health throughout their lives compared to their non-abused counterparts; they are at higher risk of having arthritis, bronchitis, high blood pressure, and ulcers, among other things. A Duke University study also found that those who were victims of violence as children tend to age more rapidly and are predicted to live shorter lives than those who were not. In addition to the health complications, child abuse victims are also at an elevated risk of developing problematic behaviors. They are more likely to evolve as violent or antisocial, become juvenile delinquents or drug users, or assume risky sexual behaviors. The Child Welfare Information Gateway indicates that victims, compared to non-victims, are 11 times more likely to be jailed for criminal behavior as a juvenile, 2.7 times more likely to be jailed for violent and criminal behavior as an adult, and 3.1 times more likely to be jailed for
In the article “The long-term impact of childhood abuse on internalizing disorders among older adults” Child abuse is a major life stressor that has important consequences for several indices of mental health in adults (Sachs-Ericsson, Verona, Joiner, & Preacher, 2006). The connection between the childhood abuse and adulthood consequences gives insight of just how severe effects it as on you later in life. In the survey a measurement of childhood abuse experiences including emotional, physical and sexual were recorded. The percipients were also analyzed for any low levels of self-esteem issues. After three years the same participants were re-interviewed. They were now diagnosed using the DSM-IV. The diagnoses included internalizing disorders like anxiety and mood disorders. Within the report it includes demographics of abused and non-abused within the older adults. Next, a series of hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed with the internalizing diag- nostic count as the dependent measure and the childhood abuse scale inserted into the model as a predictor, following the inclusion of the covariates. (Sachs-Ericsson, N., Gayman, M. D., Kendall-Tackett, K 2010).
While there have been numerous studies about spouse and child abuse, there are relatively few studies on elder abuse in our society (Bonnie & Wallace, 2003). The growing problem of elder abuse and neglect was hidden away from the public eyes for many decades due to limited research studies—or recognition. Attention to elder abuse and neglect has increased in the recent yea...
Around 5 children die every day because of child abuse (2014). In 2010, 1,537 children died of abuse or neglect, 79.4 percent were under the age of 4 and 47.7 percent were under the age of 1(2014). There are 3.6 million Cases of child abuse reported every year in the U.S. And the number of children involved in these reports is 6 million (Steve Buffone). About 80 percent of 21-year-olds who were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder (2014). Mentally, physically, and psychologically children are fragile and delicate and so is the human brain. Psychologically it is important to meet the needs of the victims but it is equally important to be a great resource for them as well. The trauma of abuse will follow a child all the way into adult hood and help is important. Without help and support children as they grow up are more like to become involved in crime, they are more likely to abuse drugs, and they are more likely to abuse their own children. This literature review will determine the efficiency and effectiveness of services by answering these questions:
Shapero, Benjamin G., et al. "Stressful Life Events And Depression Symptoms: The Effect Of Childhood Emotional Abuse On Stress Reactivity." Journal Of Clinical Psychology 70.3 (2014): 209-223. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
Sachs-Ericsson, N., Medley, A. N., Kendall–Tackett, K., & Taylor, J. (2011). Childhood abuse and current health problems among older adults: the mediating role of self-efficacy. Psychology of Violence, 1(2), 106-120. doi: 10.1037/a0023139
Studies have documented the connection between abuse and a range of physical, emotional mental and behavioral problems. Child abuse comes with tragic consequences and the society also pays a high monetary cost. The cost for child abuse includes both direct costs (those associated with the immediate needs of the abused child) and indirect costs (those associated with the long term and secondary effects). Importantly, since some forms of child abuse goes unrecognized, and it is difficult to determine how much abuse has taken place and, it is therefore not possible to determine the actual cost of child abuse. (Briere, 1992).