MHM Magazine

Issue 6 | 2022 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 19 MHM More than a third of South African children under the age of 17 suffer emotional abuse and neglect, resulting in invisible scars that put them at greater risk of mental illness and limit their chances of a fulfilling a functional adult life. Psychological abuse and neglect of children’s emotional needs for affection and support is committed most often by those closest to them and responsible for their nurturing and development – parents, caregivers and relatives, and it cuts across all levels of society and income. Although physical abuse in childhood is the most prevalent, affecting 56.3% of children, the risk of developing serious mental health problems is four times greater for the 35.5% who suffer emotional and psychological abuse, says Dr Eugene Allers, spokesperson for the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP). While physical and sexual abuse are regularly seen in the courts and the headlines, psychological abuse, including emotional neglect, receives much less attention and awareness but is one of the most traumatic forms of abuse that a child can experience, he said. “Children should be given the best opportunities in life; living in loving homes, free from all forms of abuse. This will ensure their optimal development, with less chance of psychological or psychiatric problems later in life. Children that are abused, sometimes become abusers, continuing the vicious cycle. “The childhood trauma of emotional abuse and neglect affects the child’s sense of self and their capacity to trust and build healthy relationships. It can also affect a child’s physical health and educational outcomes, Linda Christensen South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) Press officer CHILDHOOD EMOTIONAL ABUSE A LIFETIME OF INVISIBLE SCARS