title: Association of child maltreatment and depressive symptoms among Puerto Rican youth.
abstract: This article compares multiple types of child maltreatment among Puerto Rican youth. We seek to expand the limited knowledge of the effects of multiple types of maltreatment on depressive symptoms in a specific Latino population as emerging studies indicate that children who are exposed to one type of maltreatment are often exposed to other types. This study examines the predictive strength of different and multiple types of lifetime child maltreatment (i.e., physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; and neglect), and the effect of youth support from parents, youth coping, youth self-esteem, and place of residence on depressive symptoms among Puerto Rican youth. Secondary data analyses were performed using three annual waves (2000-2004) of data from the Boricua Youth Study. The analytic sample consists of 1041 10-13 year old Puerto Rican youth living in New York and Puerto Rico. Results indicate that: (1) youth who experienced 'sexual abuse only', 'multiple maltreatment' (2 or more types of maltreatment), 'physical abuse only' have a significant increase in depressive symptoms (75.1%, 61.6%, and 40.5% respectively) compared to those without maltreatment; and (2) place of residence, exposure to violence, and mental disorders were significant risk factors. When developing psychosocial interventions, professionals should particularly focus on youth who report past lifetime experience with child maltreatment. Particular attention should be given to children living in the Bronx, New York and similar urban low-income areas who report past lifetime experience with multiple types of child maltreatment and who present symptoms or a diagnosis of co-occurring mental health problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Building 255, 2242 Valley Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: gjaschek@umd.edu.
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jaschek
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Building 255, 2242 Valley Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: opokras@umd.edu.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carter-Pokras
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Building 255, 2242 Valley Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: xinhe@umd.edu.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Building 255, 2242 Valley Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: Sunmin@umd.edu.
authors.forename: Sunmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, PO Box 365067, San Juan, PR 00936-5067, USA. Electronic address: glorisa.canino@upr.edu.
authors.forename: Glorisa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Canino
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D000069581:Exposure to Violence; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D009518:New York; D010290:Parents; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Adolescents; Child abuse; Depression; Hispanic Americans; Psychological adaptation