Emergence of Abnormal Psychology Following Different Forms of Abuse and Neglect

There are five major forms of abuse and neglect of children which are correlated with later-life psychiatric problems (in parenthesis): emotional abuse, i.e., ignoring the child and harsh verbal criticism (leading to depressive rumination, major depressive disorders (MDD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)); physical neglect, i.e., failure to provide the child with adequate nutrition and a safe environment (leading to anxiousness and MDD); sexual abuse of varying degrees of intensity (resulting in anxiety and suicidal thoughts); emotional neglect, in which the child observes intrafamily physical and verbal violence (bursts of impulsivity, MDD, and suicidality); physical abuse such as beatings at school or in the home (MDD and suicidality). Of these five forms of abuse and neglect, emotional abuse has the most deleterious effects on later-life psychology.