Violent Punishment Leaves a Permanent Mark on Children

[liveonearth]

Bruises fade and skin heals, but the mind remembers. Physical punishment is still prevalent among US families. This study found the prevalence of physical punishment without "more severe child maltreatment" was 5.9%. Boys get physically punished more than girls, 59.4% to 40.6%. Blacks get beat more than whites. Asians and Pacific Islanders (including native Hawaiians) were the least likely to get whupped by their own parents.

The harsher the physical (or emotional) punishment was, the higher the odds of an axis I or II diagnosis. Axis I diagnoses include major depression, dysthymia, mania, mood disorders, phobias, anxiety disorders, and drug and alcohol abuse or dependence. Axis II diagnoses include several individual personality disorders and cluster A and B disorder diagnoses. The researchers concluded that 2-7% of all mental disease is attributable to childhood abuse.

SOURCE
http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/767353?src=cmemp

AXIS 1 CORRELATIONS
Major depression (aOR, 1.41)
Dysthymia (aOR, 1.70)
Mania (aOR, 1.93)
Any mood disorder (aOR, 1.49)
Specific phobia (aOR, 1.31)
General anxiety disorder (aOR, 1.50)
Any anxiety disorder (aOR, 1.36)
Any alcohol abuse or dependence (aOR, 1.59)
Any drug dependence or abuse (aOR, 1.53)

***PAFs for Axis I disorders were 2.1% (any anxiety disorder), 2.4% (major depression), 2.8% (any mood disorder), 3.0% (any drug dependence or abuse), 3.4% (any alcohol abuse or dependence), and 5.2% (mania).

AXIS II
Schizoid (aOR, 1.80)
Schizotypal (aOR, 2.31)
Any cluster A (paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal personality disorders; aOR, 1.74)
Antisocial (aOR, 1.98)
Borderline (aOR, 1.82)
Narcissistic (aOR, 1.84)
Any cluster B (antisocial, histrionic, borderline, and narcissistic disorders; aOR, 1.85)
Obsessive-compulsive (aOR, 1.60)
Any cluster C (avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive disorders; aOR, 1.51)

***Axis II disorders not linked with physical punishment were paranoid, histrionic, and avoidant personality disorders.
***PAFs for Axis II disorders were 4.2% (any cluster A disorder), 4.6% (borderline), 4.7% (narcissistic), 4.8% (any cluster B), 5.5% (antisocial), and 7.2% (schizotypal).
Study limitations were cross-sectional design and retrospective recall of childhood punishment and parental conditions.

Comments

[hausfrauatu.livejournal.com]

We all know that hitting isn't nice. It sure is expedient. Also I've noticed that physical punishments are diminishing in force from generation to generation. My dad's family thought nothing of using objects on him, belts, spoons, etc. My mother was horrified when she caught him about to beat my ass with a wooden spoon. At age 4... My mom was hand only. I have hit my kids. I never spanked. It's generally after a long string of ignored requests. My kids aren't usually snotty. They just blow me off until I explode. (Hmmm. Wonder where they learned that? :P)

Do Asians and Pacific Islanders suffer from less mental illness? Like 2-7% less mental illness?