@article{ref1,
title="Maltreatment during childhood and risk for common mental disorders among first year university students in South Africa",
journal="Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology",
year="2021",
author="Kessler, Ronald C. and Bantjes, Jason and Myers, Bronwyn and Lochner, Christine and Stein, Dan J. and Mortier, Phillippe",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="PURPOSE: Childhood maltreatment elevates risk for common mental disorders (CMDs) during late adolescence and adulthood. Although CMDs are highly prevalent among  university students, few studies have examined the relationship between childhood  maltreatment and 12 month CMDs in a low- to middle-income countries. This paper  describes the prevalence of maltreatment and the relationship between type, number  and patterns of maltreatment exposure and 12 month CMDs among first-year university  students in South Africa. <br><br>METHODS: Maltreatment and CMD data were collected via  well-validated self-report scales (corresponding with DSM-IV diagnoses) in a  web-based survey of first-year students from two large urban universities (n = 1290)  in South Africa. Various multivariate modelling approaches (additive, restrictive  interactive and latent class) were used to examine the relationship between  maltreatment and CMDs. <br><br>RESULTS: Overall, 48.4% of participants reported childhood  maltreatment, the most common type being emotional abuse (26.7%). Regardless of the  modelling approach used, emotional abuse was the only type of maltreatment  independently associated with 12-month diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD),  generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) or drug use disorder (DUD) even after adjusting  for types and number of types of maltreatment. Similarly, students in the latent  class reflecting histories of emotional abuse (either alone or combined with  physical abuse) were more likely to meet criteria for 12-month MDD, GAD or DUD. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Findings confirm the high prevalence of childhood maltreatment among  South African students. As this exposure elevates risk for MDD, GAD and DUD,  interventions aimed at preventing and treating CMDs among first-year students should  address experiences of childhood maltreatment.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0933-7954",
doi="10.1007/s00127-020-01992-9",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01992-9"
}