Study Links Childhood Verbal Abuse to Higher Risk of Poor Adult Mental Health

Study Links Childhood Verbal Abuse to Higher Risk of Poor Adult Mental Health
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Parents who ridicule, threaten, or humiliate their children may increase the likelihood of poor adult mental health by 64%, according to research published in BMJ Open, as reported by The Guardian. The analysis, which reviewed data from 20,687 adults across seven studies conducted between 2012 and 2024, compared the effects of verbal and physical abuse in childhood using the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) tool and the Warwick-Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale.

The findings showed that physical abuse was linked to a 52% higher risk of low mental wellbeing in adulthood, while verbal abuse carried a slightly greater risk. Adults who experienced both forms of abuse faced the highest prevalence of poor mental health. Rates of physical abuse fell from 20% among those born before 1980 to 10% in those born after 2000, but verbal abuse increased from 12% to 20% over the same period.

Lead author Prof Mark Bellis of Liverpool John Moores University warned that rising verbal abuse may undermine mental health gains from reduced physical abuse, calling for practical parenting support to promote healthy, nurturing relationships. Campaigners say the findings highlight the lasting harm of critical or controlling language toward children.