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<p>Research and clinical practice on childhood maltreatment largely rely on retrospective self-reports. However, self-reports are often considered unreliable due to concerns about memory biases and shifting subjective appraisals. Here, in a meta-analysis of 49 studies including <i>n</i> = 38,332 individuals followed for an average of 2.4 years (range = 2 months to 12 years), we found that retrospective self-reports of maltreatment are overall highly stable (<i>r</i> = 0.79). However, stability was lower in population-representative samples than in clinical or convenience samples, for neglect compared with abuse, and in children compared with adults. In children, but not adults, stability declined with longer follow-up. These findings challenge the view that retrospective self-reports are inherently unstable, although further research is needed to investigate long-term stability. Reshaping trauma-related appraisals may require deliberate intervention and might be most effective during childhood when memories appear more malleable.</p>

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Stability of childhood maltreatment self-reports: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月3日

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  • Oonagh Coleman,
  • Maya Al-Jaber,
  • Geethma Aponsu,
  • Daniel Stahl,
  • Andrea Danese

摘要

Research and clinical practice on childhood maltreatment largely rely on retrospective self-reports. However, self-reports are often considered unreliable due to concerns about memory biases and shifting subjective appraisals. Here, in a meta-analysis of 49 studies including n = 38,332 individuals followed for an average of 2.4 years (range = 2 months to 12 years), we found that retrospective self-reports of maltreatment are overall highly stable (r = 0.79). However, stability was lower in population-representative samples than in clinical or convenience samples, for neglect compared with abuse, and in children compared with adults. In children, but not adults, stability declined with longer follow-up. These findings challenge the view that retrospective self-reports are inherently unstable, although further research is needed to investigate long-term stability. Reshaping trauma-related appraisals may require deliberate intervention and might be most effective during childhood when memories appear more malleable.