title: Child abuse and neglect, social support, and psychopathology in adulthood: a prospective investigation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether child abuse and neglect predicts low levels of social support in middle adulthood and understand whether social support acts to mediate or moderate the relationship between childhood abuse and neglect and subsequent outcomes (anxiety, depression, and illicit drug use).
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from a prospective cohort design study, children with documented histories of physical and sexual abuse and neglect (ages 0-11) during the years 1967 through 1971 and a matched control group were followed up and interviewed in adulthood. Social support was assessed at mean age 39.5, and anxiety, depression, and illicit drug use at mean age 41.2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adjusting for age, sex, and race, individuals with documented histories of child abuse and neglect reported significantly lower levels of social support in adulthood [total (p < .001), appraisal (p < .001), belonging (p < .001), tangible (p < .001), and self-esteem support (p < .01)] than controls. Adjusting for age, sex, race, and prior psychiatric diagnosis, social support mediated the relationship between child abuse and neglect and anxiety and depression in adulthood. Four gender by social support interactions and one three-way [group (abuse/neglect versus control) × tangible social support × gender] interaction moderated levels of anxiety and depression, particularly for males who were more strongly affected by high levels of social support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social support plays a significant role in mediating and moderating some long term consequences of childhood maltreatment. Efforts to better understand the timing and mechanisms involved in these relationships are needed to guide preventive interventions and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Debbie M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Sperry
authors.forename: Cathy Spatz
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Widom
mesh_terms: D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D035061:Control Groups; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011599:Psychopathology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012944:Social Support
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs
references.citation: J Health Soc Behav. 1985 Dec;26(4):352-64
references.pmid: 4086758
references.citation: Am Psychol. 1989 Mar;44(3):513-24
references.pmid: 2648906
references.citation: Behav Res Methods Instrum Comput. 2004 Nov;36(4):717-31
references.pmid: 15641418
references.citation: Child Maltreat. 2010 May;15(2):111-20
references.pmid: 20425881
references.citation: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2000 Jun;39(6):735-42
references.pmid: 10846308
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 2012 Aug;24(3):723-38
references.pmid: 22781851
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1993 Mar;64(3):395-408
references.pmid: 8468668
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 1997 Nov;21(11):1025-37
references.pmid: 9422824
references.citation: Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1989 Jul;59(3):355-67
references.pmid: 2764070
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 1996 Aug;20(8):701-7
references.pmid: 8866116
references.citation: J Stud Alcohol. 2003 Mar;64(2):247-56
references.pmid: 12713199
references.citation: Behav Res Methods. 2008 Aug;40(3):879-91
references.pmid: 18697684
references.citation: Addiction. 1993 Nov;88(11):1573-9
references.pmid: 8287004
references.citation: J Health Soc Behav. 1982 Jun;23(2):145-59
references.pmid: 7108180
references.citation: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007 Jan;64(1):49-56
references.pmid: 17199054
references.citation: J Trauma Stress. 2005 Dec;18(6):685-96
references.pmid: 16382436
references.citation: Violence Vict. 2003 Aug;18(4):419-31
references.pmid: 14582863
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 1994 Aug;18(8):617-33
references.pmid: 7953902
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 1995 Sep;19(9):1115-30
references.pmid: 8528817
references.citation: Psychol Addict Behav. 2006 Dec;20(4):394-403
references.pmid: 17176174
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2002 Feb;70(1):252-7
references.pmid: 11860052
references.citation: Am Psychol. 1998 Feb;53(2):221-41
references.pmid: 9491749
references.citation: Child Dev. 1998 Aug;69(4):1171-97
references.pmid: 9768492
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 1999 Dec;67(6):867-80
references.pmid: 10596509
references.citation: J Subst Abuse. 1995;7(3):267-80
references.pmid: 8749787
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 1988 Dec;56(6):893-7
references.pmid: 3204199
references.citation: Violence Vict. 1995 Winter;10(4):273-83
references.pmid: 8703840
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 1997 Feb;21(2):211-26
references.pmid: 9056101
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 2007 Jan;31(1):71-84
references.pmid: 17215039
references.citation: Science. 1989 Apr 14;244(4901):160-6
references.pmid: 2704995
references.citation: Psychol Bull. 1985 Sep;98(2):310-57
references.pmid: 3901065
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 1999 Apr;23(4):321-38
references.pmid: 10321770
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 1996 Nov;20(11):1087-93
references.pmid: 8958458
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1996 Sep;71(3):498-511
references.pmid: 8831159
references.citation: J Trauma Stress. 2006 Dec;19(6):825-36
references.pmid: 17195981
references.citation: Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2000 Jul;70(3):316-26
references.pmid: 10953778
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 1999 May;23(5):421-33
references.pmid: 10348379
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 2006 Feb;30(2):171-91
references.pmid: 16466786
references.citation: Child Youth Serv Rev. 2010 Jun;32(6):790-797
references.pmid: 23420669
references.citation: Lancet. 2009 Jan 3;373(9657):68-81
references.pmid: 19056114
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 2008 Aug;32(8):785-96
references.pmid: 18760474
references.citation: Depress Anxiety. 2009;26(1):46-53
references.pmid: 18972449