Encouraging Results: Majority of Childhood Physical Abuse Survivors Thrive Psychologically in Adulthood

A recently conducted research discovered that about 63% of adults who experienced physical abuse as children are currently enjoying complete mental health, indicating their notable resilience. Even though these results provide a ray of hope, the study also underscores that those with a past of physical maltreatment are less likely to thrive psychologically compared to their non-abused counterparts. This highlights the need for trauma-informed mental health strategies and considering physical aspects like chronic pain in aiding the mental well-being of abuse survivors.

Barriers to achieving complete mental health encompass inadequate social support, persistent pain, and a chronic history of mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders.

This study, recently published in the Children and Youth Services Review, finds that almost 63% of adults who were victims of physical abuse during their childhood are now experiencing psychological flourishing or complete mental health.

“The finding provides immense hope for survivors of childhood physical abuse,” states the lead author, Esme Fuller-Thomson, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and director of the Institute for Life Course and Aging. “Our research shows that a significant number of individuals with an abusive history can attain a high level of life satisfaction and psychological well-being. This highlights the remarkable resilience in this demographic.”

The research involved a comparison between a nationally representative sample of 853 Canadians who had a history of childhood physical abuse and 17,216 respondents with no such history. The data for this comparison was sourced from the Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health by Statistics Canada.

To qualify as having complete mental health, participants had to display 1) absence of mental illness (like substance abuse disorders, depression, anxiety, or suicidal tendencies) in the past year, 2) daily happiness or life satisfaction in the previous month, and 3) high levels of social and psychological well-being in the past month. It is noteworthy that the study deliberately left out respondents with a history of childhood sexual abuse or parental domestic violence to single out the adverse effects of physical abuse from other concurrent childhood adversities.

While the study results are promising, a higher percentage of those without any history of physical abuse during childhood were found to be psychologically thriving. “75% of the general population reported being in complete mental health compared to just 63% of survivors of childhood physical abuse,” points out co-author Kandace Ryckman, a University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health graduate. “We hope these findings will inspire the creation of more impactful interventions for this group, thereby promoting overall well-being among survivors.”

Andie MacNeil, co-author and research assistant at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, adds, “Individuals who had experienced depression at any point in their life were significantly less likely to be psychologically thriving. This underlines the significance of trauma-informed mental health interventions for these individuals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based interventions have proven very effective in enhancing mental health outcomes among abuse survivors.”

Chronic pain emerged as a substantial factor impacting the relationship between physical abuse and complete mental health. “Analyzing complete mental health fosters a more comprehensive understanding of mental health that goes beyond merely the presence or absence of mental illness,” Fuller-Thomson emphasizes, “It’s critical to take into account physical factors, like chronic pain, while aiding the mental health of abuse survivors.”

Reference: “Pathways to recovery among survivors of childhood physical abuse: What is important to promote complete mental health” by Esme Fuller-Thomson, Kandace Ryckman, Andie MacNeil and Sarah Brennenstuhl, 23 May 2023, Children and Youth Services Review.
DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107009

The study received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Childhood Physical Abuse Survivors

More about Childhood Physical Abuse Survivors

• Children and Youth Services Review Journal
• Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health
• University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada