Latest Expert Witness News

Childhood Maltreatment Causes Inflammation And Depression In Adulthood

A history of abuse of neglect in childhood could be associated with depression and inflammation when reaching adulthood. According to a report in the April 2008 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, a JAMA/Archives journal, not only is this association possible but this could also increase cardiovascular risk.

Major depression can affect many parts of the body, according to the authors: "Major depression is a multisystemic disorder that affects both brain and bodily functions." Often, depression coincides with cardiovascular disease, and chronic inflammation, in which the immune system is over-activated, has been linked to both. They explain: "However, not all individuals with depression have elevated levels of inflammation. Those who do could be at highest risk for cardiovascular disease."

To test the validity of this statement, Andrea Danese, M.D., M.Sc., of King's College London, and colleagues examined 1,000 New Zealand residents who were born between 1972 and 1973. Analyses were performed every two years between the ages of 3 and 15, and afterwards at 18, 21, 26, and 32 years. Maltreatment in childhood included rejection by the child's mother, harsh discipline, physical or sexual abuse, or disruptive changes in the caregivers. In the childhood years, these were reported by parents, indicated by objective examinations, and the reports of the participants themselves as they reached adulthood. When the participants reached age 32, a physical examination was performed with the clinical interview to diagnose depression.

back