Association between childhood neglect and psychiatric disorders in adults: systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the association between childhood neglect and psychiatric disorders in adults, examining how different neglect subtypes relate to specific mental health outcomes. The authors found strong associations between all types of neglect and various psychiatric disorders, with the most significant links identified between unspecified neglect and bipolar disorder, physical neglect and schizophrenia, and emotional neglect and major depressive disorder. These results underscore the importance of early identification and intervention strategies to address the long-term mental health impacts of childhood neglect.