title: Adolescent exposure to violence and adult physical and mental health problems.
abstract: Evidence on the relationship of adolescent exposure to violence (AEV) with adult physical and mental health problems is limited, with studies often focusing on earlier childhood rather than adolescence, and also on short term rather than long term outcomes. Information specifically on the relationship of AEV to seeking help for mental health problems in adulthood from either formal sources such as mental health professionals or informal sources such as friends and clergy is even more difficult to find. The present study investigates how adolescent exposure to violence (AEV), in the form of parental physical abuse, witnessing parental violence, and exposure to violence in the neighborhood, are related to self-reported adult physical problems and seeking formal or informal assistance with mental health, controlling for more general adolescent violent victimization and for self-reports and parent reports of mental health problems in adolescence. This study adds to the literature on AEV and adult physical problems, and provides a rare look at the relationship of AEV to adult help-seeking for mental health problems. The results suggest that AEV is associated with mental health problems in adolescence for both females and males, that for females AEV is related to physical problems and to seeking help for mental health problems in adulthood, but for males the only significant relationship involves inconsistent reports of witnessing parental violence and adult physical problems.
authors.affiliation: 7500 Tomahawk Road, Prairie View, KS 66208, USA.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Franzese
authors.affiliation: Adams County Human Services Department, 1030 West 15th Avenue, Broomfield, CO 80020, USA.
authors.forename: Herbert C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Covey
authors.affiliation: Community Reach Center, 8931 Huron Street, Thornton, CO 80260, USA.
authors.forename: Abigail S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Sam Houston State University, Campus Box 2296, Huntsville, TX 77341, USA.
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Sam Houston State University, Campus Box 2296, Huntsville, TX 77341, USA.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Menard
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014754:Violence / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescence; Adolescent exposure to violence; Mental health problems; Physical health problems; Survey research