PSYCHIATRIC PROFILE AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ADULTS WHO REPORT PHYSICALLY ABUSING OR NEGLECTING CHILDREN

Objective: In this study the authors measured the number of adults in three U.S. communities who reported abusing and neglecting children in their lifetime and assessed the relative impact of sociodemographic c haracteristics and lifetime diagnosis of mental disorders on both chil d abuse and child neglect. Method: A total of 9,841 respondents, ident ified through a household sampling procedure for the National Institut e of Mental Health (NIMH) Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, were inc luded in the analysis. Self-reported lifetime histories of abuse and n eglect of children were measured in the antisocial personality module of the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Results: In the study sampl e, 147 adults (1.49%) stated that they had abused children, and 140 ad ults (1.42%) stated that they had neglected children. A total of 58.5% of those who reported abuse of children, and 69.3% of those who repor ted having neglected a child, had a lifetime diagnosis of a mental dis order. Increased odds of reports of both abuse and neglect were associ ated with having a greater number of children in the household. Low so cioeconomic status was a risk factor for neglecting, but not abusing c hildren. In multivariate analyses, a lifetime history of alcohol disor der was associated with abuse and neglect, affective disorders with ab use, and anxiety disorders with neglecting children. Conclusions: In l ight of the associations between mental disorders and mistreatment of children, public health policies designed to prevent child abuse and n eglect might be enhanced by an increased focus on interventions target ed at individuals with mental disorders.