Children of Violent Parents at Higher Risk for Depression and Alcoholism

A new study reveals that people whose parents were violent with each other are more likely to have mental health problems later in life. Researchers studied 3,023 adults in the Paris metropolitan area in 2005 through face to face interviews, and the researchers measured current depression and lifetime suicide attempts, intimate partner violence, violence against children, and alcohol dependence.

Among the group of interviewees, 16% said they had witnessed interparental violence before the age of 18. This was up to eight times more likely in cases where parents were alcoholics. Other relevant factors were parental separation, divorce, parental death or imprisonment, alcoholism, physical and/or sexual abuse, financial troubles, poor parental health, prolonged parental unemployment, and housing problems.

After adjusting for family and social level stressors, the researchers found that people who were exposed to interparental violence had a 1.4 times higher risk of being depressed, were more than 3 times more likely to be involved in conjugal violence, were almost 5 times more likely to mistreat their own children, and were 1.75 times more likely to be dependent on alcohol.

“Intensification of prevention of and screening for domestic violence including interparental violence is a public health issue for the well-being of future generations,” stated the authors.

Source: Science Daily, People With Parents Who Fight Are More Likely To Have Mental Health Problems In Later Life, May 28, 2009