The current study tests the hypothesis that children experiencing maltreatment in any form are more likely to have an anxiety disorder. Studying this correlation is essential for strengthening the practices of countering maltreatment and preventing anxiety, which pose a significant threat to the child’s well-being, in particular their physical and psychological health.
This research considers the manifestation of child maltreatment in any form as an antecedent variable and anxiety disorder signs as a consequent one.
Child maltreatment presents a significant global problem with negative consequences for children and society as a whole. It implies behavior toward children beyond the norm and carries risks to their physical and emotional health (Pekarsky, 2020). Maltreatment can manifest in several forms – neglect, psychological or emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and physical abuse (Pekarsky, 2020). The majority of children who have experienced maltreatment are victims of neglect, which implies a lack of care for children and a failure to provide for their needs. (Pekarsky, 2020). Cruelty to children has short- and long-term physical and psychological consequences.
Children exposed to violence require treatment and the help of social services. Its severe influence on children is also the reason for choosing maltreatment as an antecedent variable. The problem is complicated by ethical dilemmas that accompany questions about parents’ rights and the fact that victims are often unable to report their situation or do not even understand it. Studying the severity of the maltreatment effects draws attention to the problem and contributes to its solution.
Constant tension, a sense of threat, and similar feelings can cause anxiety disorder. Temporary fear and worry displayed by children in various situations are common – they mobilize a person, help avoid danger or solve a problem. However, specialists can diagnose anxiety disorder when fear and worry become constant and interfere with daily activities, such as studying (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2022). It has its types, for example, fear when being far from parents – separation anxiety, or being in society – social anxiety. The child may also experience general anxiety thinking about bad things or face a panic disorder, feeling intense fear at some moments. Children suffering from such conditions require the help of a specialist to reduce their impact.
Prolonged anxiety worsens the well-being of children and can persist until adulthood without proper intervention. Its consequences include irritability, anger, insomnia, fatigue, the development of disorders other as depression, and even feeling pain (CDC, 2022). Under the influence of anxiety, the child begins to avoid difficult situations and is prone to conflict and despair. Disturbing ordinary life, anxiety becomes a heavy burden, prevents the development of a person’s potential, and therefore interferes with the prosperity of society.
The current study intends to investigate the empirical status of the knowledge proposition on the correlation between child maltreatment and anxiety using appropriate empirical articles.
The following table represents the search strategy of relevant empirical research articles to understand the status of knowledge about the correlation between child maltreatment and an anxiety disorder.
Table 1: Search Strategy
The search for empirical evidence in various databases was less productive than could be expected in the question of the correlation between childhood maltreatment and anxiety. Searching two of the three databases almost did not produce desired results, but the MEDLINE database provided more data and the opportunity to select the most relevant articles.
Empirical articles support the assumption that maltreatment experienced in childhood leads to anxiety. For example, a study by Lakhdir et al. (2021) considered abuse combined with parental education and its impact on the likelihood of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Their results showed that the risk ratio for the occurrence of GAD due to frequent maltreatment with one and two parents without education is 5.58 and 7.31, with confidence intervals (CI) 1.41-21.97 and 2.20-24.04, respectively (Lakhdir et al., 2021, p. 7). Levin and Liu’s (2021) study of children with maltreatment experience showed that their interpersonal stress is a prerequisite for anxiety and depression with β = 15, p =.023, reffect size =.05 (p. 4). Finally, an article by Macpherson et al. (2021) notes the association of maltreatment with many mental disorders. For anxiety disorders, a threat ratio is 1.19, with 95% CI: 1.14-1.24 and p < 0.0001 (Macpherson et al., 2021, p. 5). Therefore, empirical studies prove the correlation between maltreatment and anxiety.
Based on the study results, although fewer studies are conducted than can be expected, the empirical status of knowledge proposition about the anxiety occurrence due to childhood maltreatment confirms that their association is a fact.
It is crucial that social workers understand the impact of maltreatment on children’s well-being and protect their physical and psychological health and research brings attention to the problem. Although today the protection of children from parental violence faces many obstacles and dilemmas, it is necessary to continue efforts to ensure a happy and calm life for children.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Anxiety and depression in children. Web.
Gardner, M. J., Thomas, H. J., & Erskine, H. E. (2019). The association between five forms of child maltreatment and depressive and anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Child Abuse & Neglect, 96, 104082. Web.
Lakhdir, M., Peerwani, G., Soomar, S. M., Nathwani, A. A., Farooq, S., Ali, N. A., Khaliq, A., Kadir, M. M., & Azam, S. I. (2021). Longitudinal association between parental-to-child-Maltreatment and self-reported Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms in Pakistani Adolescents. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 15(1), 1-10. Web.
Levin, R. Y., & Liu, R. T. (2021). Life stress, early maltreatment, and prospective associations with depression and anxiety in preadolescent children: A six-year, multi-wave study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 278, 1-10. Web.
Macpherson, J. M., Gray, S. R., Ip, P., McCallum, M., Hanlon, P., Welsh, P., Chan, K. L., Mair, F. S., Celis-Morales, C., Minnis, H., Pell, J. P., & Ho, F. K. (2021). Child maltreatment and incident mental disorders in middle and older ages: A retrospective UK Biobank cohort study. The Lancet Regional Health. Europe, 11, 1-9. Web.
Pekarsky, A. R. (2020). Overview of child maltreatment. MSD Manual for the Professional. Web.