SYDNEY, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A new study led by the University of Sydney has found that childhood maltreatment is responsible for up to 40 percent of common mental health conditions in Australia.
In their meta-analysis published in the JAMA Psychiatry journal, researchers examined multiple mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, harmful alcohol and drug use, self-harm and suicide attempts, with childhood maltreatment classified as physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and emotional or physical neglect before the age of 18.
Results showed that childhood maltreatment accounted for 41 percent of suicide attempts in Australia, 35 percent for cases of self-harm, and 21 percent for depression.
The study also estimated that if childhood maltreatment was eradicated in Australia, more than 1.8 million cases of depressive, anxiety and substance use disorders could be prevented.
Accordingly, the research team underlined the urgency of preventing childhood abuse and neglect to reduce the population prevalence and burden of mental disorders.
The results are devastating and are an urgent call to invest in prevention, not just giving individual support to children and families, but wider policies to reduce stress experienced by families, Lucinda Grummitt, lead author of the study and research associate from the University of Sydney, said on Thursday.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics suggested that approximately one in seven Australians experienced abuse during their childhood.
Grummitt spoke of some effective measures to tackle the issue, including programs to support children experiencing maltreatment or parent education projects, but she highlighted that the most sustainable solution is policy-driven prevention.
"Policies to alleviate stress experienced by families, such as paid parental leave, affordable childcare, income support like Job seeker, and making sure parents have access to treatment and support for their own mental health could make a world of difference for Australian children," said the researcher.
"Addressing the societal and economic conditions that give rise to child maltreatment can play a large part in preventing mental disorders at a national level," she added.
