Development of a retrospective interview measure of parental maltreatment using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) instrument -- A life-course study of adult chronic depression - 1.
BACKGROUND
Childhood maltreatment among women is related to risk of adult depression and particularly an episode taking a chronic course. This paper explores the aspects of parental behaviour involved.


METHODS
An expanded version of CECA (Childhood Experiences of Care and Abuse), a retrospective interview-based instrument covering neglect as well as various forms of abuse is used to develop a new index of parental maltreatment. Data are derived from an enquiry of sister pairs between early 20s and 50s, comprising a high-risk series (n=118) where the first sister was selected as likely to have experienced childhood abuse or neglect, and a comparison series (n=80) where she was selected at random.


RESULTS
Adverse maternal behaviour emerges as of critical importance for the link with adult chronic depression. Maternal lack of affection ('neglect') and maternal rejection ('emotional abuse') form the core of an index of parental maltreatment, and it is concluded that persistent rejection, particularly from a mother, appears to be the core experience of importance. The findings of behavioural genetics that the experience of siblings of parents in ordinary families often differs have been found to hold for the more extreme behaviour involved in maltreatment. Difference between siblings in risk of later chronic depression is entirely related to such experience.


CONCLUSIONS
The study is based on retrospective questioning of adult women. Our next paper considers the possible threats to validity involved [Brown, G.W., Craig, T.K.J., Harris, T.O., Handley, R.V., Harvey, A.L., 2007a. Validity of retrospective measures of early maltreatment and depressive episodes using CECA (Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse) - a life-course study of adult chronic depression - 2. J. Affect. Disord. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2007.06.003].


CONCLUSIONS
Parental maltreatment emerges as a critical determinant of later chronic depressive episodes among adult women.
Brown
George W
GW
Department of Social Psychiatry Group, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital Campus, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK. george.brown@kcl.ac.uk
Craig
Tom K J
TK
Harris
Tirril O
TO
Handley
Rachel V
RV
Harvey
Anna L
AL
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008131:London; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology