Effects of Childhood Trauma On Adolescent Mental H
Effects of Childhood Trauma On Adolescent Mental H
Effects of Childhood Trauma On Adolescent Mental H
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/13/20230895
Abstract: Adolescent mental health issues are being increasingly acknowledged, yet the bulk
of adolescent psychological issues may be traced back to childhood. This literature review
provides a comprehensive analysis of the association between childhood trauma and mental
health disorders in adolescents. A systematic search of relevant terms including emotional
abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, non-suicidal self-
injury, suicide, aggressive behavior, Internet addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder,
depression, and cognition was conducted. This review meticulously catalogs and discusses
psychological disorders based on their specific classifications, resulting harms, association
with childhood trauma, mediating mechanisms, and coping techniques. The findings from
numerous pertinent journals and literature highlight a significant correlation between
childhood abuse and neglect and various aspects of adolescent behavior, mood, and cognition.
By a variety of intermediary systems, this association may be indirectly related. Treatment
enables intervention and prevention of adolescent mental health issues. Several articles have
demonstrated that childhood trauma has negative consequences on adolescent mental health.
Unfortunately, there are research in this sector, and the majority of them is cross-sectional or
has restrictions. Therefore, the contribution of this paper is to inspire readers or future
researchers to further explore the effects of childhood trauma on adolescent psychology.
1. Introduction
Currently, mental health is a topic of concern, and the issue of adolescent mental health has been
regularly brought up. The recent death of 15-year-old Hu Xinyu, who hanged himself due to
psychological problems, has catapulted adolescent mental health to an unprecedented level of social
awareness. Adolescence is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood, which is also a
crucial time. Its qualities include sensitivity and susceptibility to external environmental variables;
this is the period during which psychological illness is most easily detected. 10% to 20% of
adolescents globally suffer from mental health issues, according to a study [1].
© 2023 The Authors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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The majority of teenage mental health difficulties may be traced back to childhood. Academics in
the United States have begun to focus on the harmful effects of childhood trauma on youth mental
health over the past few years. For example, Chuanyong Liu and collaborators assessed the impact of
childhood trauma and intuitive stress on depression as well as an anxiety disorder in teens and found
that these adolescents had more childhood trauma experiences [2]. There is an association between
adolescent mental illness and childhood psychological trauma, as supported by both domestic and
international research [3].
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findings differ slightly from those of the German study cited previously. Even if the majority of this
research are cross-sectional or retrospective, the probability of recall bias is enough to explain the
connection between both non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents and childhood trauma. This is true
even if the majority of these studies are retrospective.
Stewart et al. define suicidal behavior as the intentional self-destructive behavior of killing oneself
[10]. In recent years, the rate of youth suicide has increased, although research on the impact of
traumatic events on suicidal behavior in China is still limited. Most suicidal teenagers with a history
of childhood trauma, as noted in the relevant literature [11], are adolescents with a history of
depression. Early international research has established a high correlation between childhood
maltreatment and neglect and suicide. Abuse in childhood, particularly sexual abuse, increases the
likelihood of suicide conduct [12].
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3.2. Emotion
3.2.1. Depression
In this paper, depression is primarily defined as a mental illness characterized by severe and persistent
bad mood and abnormalities in emotional control [19]. An increasing number of articles on adolescent
depression in recent history have demonstrated that depression has significantly hampered adolescent
development. Individual emotions, thinking, self-feeling, interpersonal communication, study, and
work are all negatively impacted. According to research, many depressed teenagers experienced
childhood psychological trauma such as loss, abuse, or separation [20]. Relative to their counterparts,
adolescents who experienced early psychological trauma are far more vulnerable to suffering from
psychological illnesses like depression [21]. Using 176 adolescents (12-17 years old) and freshly
onset adults (18-29 years old) with unipolar depression as research samples, Rocque et al. discovered
that patients with emotional maltreatment in childhood were more sensitive to stress [22]. In this
context, the study by Ling et al. revealed that emotional neglect, as well as abuse, were the most
significant predictors underlying depressive symptoms in adolescents who had psychological trauma
as children [23]. In addition, Wenhong Cheng et al. discovered that the rate of childhood trauma in
adolescents with depression was significantly greater than in teenagers of the same age who were not
depressed. The rate of depression among those with a history of early trauma was 3.79 times that of
those without such a history. Furthermore, the degree of depression was found to be considerably
higher among those who had a past of early trauma in comparison to people who did not have this
experience [20].
3.3. Cognition
Typically, behaviors interacting with the external environment influence cognitive function
development. Cognitive abilities include learning, researching, comprehending, summarizing, and
analyzing. Childhood trauma can have a negative impact on cognition, particularly memory, which
is important because it affects a person’s future growth. Early traumatic experiences have been linked
to mental damage in adolescents, according to studies. After a childhood trauma, the structure,
function, and neural development of brain areas will change, with the hippocampus being the most
affected. Individuals who have undergone psychological trauma in childhood will have diminished
hippocampal volume and reduced memory performance. In addition, the academic performance of
adolescents may decrease as a result. If adolescents are dissatisfied with their educational experiences,
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they will eventually lose confidence and deteriorate psychologically and cognitively. In a word,
childhood trauma has a direct effect on adolescents’ cognitive development. On the other hand, it is
possible to lessen the negative effects of trauma by receiving timely and specific treatment for
cognitive difficulties [26].
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5.2. Prevention
Early prevention is the most effective method to lessen the negative effects of childhood trauma.
According to Bronfenbrenner’s Ecosystem Theory, the human development environment is an
ecosystem comprised of microsystems, mesosystems, and ecosystems, and the macrosystems are
interconnected. The microsystems of children consist of their environment, family, kindergarten,
school, and natural environment [33]. Once irregularities are detected, parents and teachers in such
an atmosphere should take immediate action to protect children from psychological damage by
maintaining constant vigilance.
Mesosystems relate to the links between multiple “micro” ecosystems in which humans interact
and are directly immersed. For example, the relationships between houses (home and school) and
between instructors and parents. The importance of home-school cooperation is central to this
approach. Instructors should swiftly inform parents about their children’s kindergarten or school
status. In addition, parents should provide their children with great companionship and interaction,
as well as scientifically based care. So that they may feel a sense of support and closeness.
Ecosystems include contexts such as networks, groups, and neighborhoods, in which a child may
or may not be active but may be influenced. The age of information explosion, in which all types of
information are combined, has arrived. Children’s cognitive development is limited, as is their ability
to distinguish between right and wrong. As a result, parents must assist their children in screening
information and limiting their children’s exposure to negative external influences. Furthermore, the
community, campus, and family should collaborate to promote children’s healthy development and
reduce the prevalence of psychological stress.
6. Conclusion
This review classifies and discusses the negative effects of childhood trauma on adolescent
psychology. Combined with relevant research results at home and abroad, it concludes that there is a
correlation between childhood trauma and young people’s psychological problems, and different
types and degrees of childhood trauma will cause different degrees of negative effects on adolescents
and adults. In addition, this paper proposes some coping strategies for the above-mentioned trauma
types and trauma consequences, mainly some remedial and preventive measures. Although this view
is supported by relevant research results, few studies have been conducted on the effects of childhood
trauma on adolescent mental distress, and most of these studies are cross-sectional or influenced to
some extent by unavoidable objective factors. More researchers will be needed to fill this gap in the
future, as the subject is still relatively underdeveloped. Therefore, this paper will contribute to
inspiring not only future researchers to pay more attention to this field, but also parents to care more
about the negative effects of childhood trauma on adolescent psychology. Besides, teachers play an
essential role in assisting students who suffer from the negative effects of childhood trauma on
adolescent psychology. If there is any policy about protecting these students, a better world would be
created.
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