Regular Article

You have full text access to this OnlineOpen article

Effects of childhood physical abuse on depression, problem drinking and perceived poor health status in adolescents living in rural Taiwan

  1. Cheng-Fang Yen md, phd1,4,
  2. Mei-Sang Yang rn, phd2,*,
  3. Cheng-Chih Chen phd3,
  4. Ming-Jen Yang md, scd5,
  5. Yi-Ching Su rn, msn2,
  6. Mei-Hua Wang rn, msn2,
  7. Chu-Mei Lan rn, msn6

Article first published online: 29 SEP 2008

DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2008.01836.x

Issue

Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences

Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences

Volume 62, Issue 5, pages 575–583, October 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Yen, C.-F., Yang, M.-S., Chen, C.-C., Yang, M.-J., Su, Y.-C., Wang, M.-H. and Lan, C.-M. (2008), Effects of childhood physical abuse on depression, problem drinking and perceived poor health status in adolescents living in rural Taiwan. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 62: 575–583. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2008.01836.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine,

  2. 2

    School of Nursing, College of Nursing,

  3. 3

    Department of Medical Sociology and Social Work, College of Health Science, Kaohsiung Medical University,

  4. 4

    Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital,

  5. 5

    Yuh-Ing Junior College of Health Care and Management and

  6. 6

    Graduate Institute of Guidance and Counseling, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

* Mei-Sang Yang, RN, PhD, College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan. Email: msyang@kmu.edu.tw

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 29 SEP 2008
  2. Article first published online: 29 SEP 2008
  3. Received 17 January 2008; revised 13 June 2008; accepted 18 June 2008.

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (79K)

Keywords:

  • adolescent;
  • alcohol;
  • child abuse;
  • depression;
  • health status

Aims:  The aim of the present study was to investigate the magnitude and independence of the effects of childhood physical abuse on adolescent depression, problem drinking and perceived poor mental health in Taiwanese indigenous and non-indigenous adolescents living in rural areas controlling for individual and familial characteristics.

Methods:  A sample of adolescents was randomly selected from junior high schools in the rural areas of southern Taiwan. The associations between childhood physical abuse and adolescent depression, problem drinking and perceived poor health status were examined on univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results:  Of the 1684 adolescents who completed the questionnaires, 374 (22.2%) reported that they had experienced physical abuse in childhood. Controlling for individual and familial factors, childhood physical abuse significantly increased the risk of depression, problem drinking and perceived poor health status in the present sample of adolescents on multivariate logistic regression.

Conclusion:  History of childhood physical abuse should be elicited from adolescents in treatment for depression, alcohol abuse or physical discomfort of unknown etiology. This finding may be of clinical benefit in terms of the design and implementation of intervention.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (79K)