ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Previous meta-analyses have shown a moderate negative impact of maltreatment on the neuropsychological functioning of people with or without psychiatric disorders compared to healthy groups. The objectives of the present meta-analysis were to (1) investigate the impact of maltreatment on neuropsychological functioning of people with psychiatric disorders and to (2) evaluate the moderating effect of age, at the time of the cognitive assessment, on neuropsychological functioning. METHODS: Seventeen studies published between 1970 and July 2017 were included. RESULTS: The results showed a negative impact of maltreatment with a small effect size (g = -0.25) on the neuropsychological performances in the group with psychiatric disorders with a history of exposure to childhood maltreatment compared to the group with psychiatric disorders without a history of exposure to childhood maltreatment. Cognitive domains that are significantly affected by maltreatment are: working memory (g = -0.56), verbal episodic memory (g = -0.39), intelligence (g = -0.27) and processing speed (g = -0.21). The impact of childhood maltreatment on the cognitive profile is greater in adults than young people. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should consider these common cognitive deficits using a transdiagnostic approach in cognitive interventions.
Subject(s)
Adult Survivors of Child Abuse/psychology , Child Abuse/psychology , Cognitive Dysfunction/psychology , Mental Disorders/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Child , Cognition , Female , Humans , Intelligence , Male , Memory, Episodic , Memory, Short-Term , Middle Aged , Neuropsychological Tests , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Few studies have attempted to describe the range of cognitive impairments affecting people who have experienced child maltreatment. The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the neuropsychological profile of these people and to determine the cognitive impacts of maltreatment from childhood to adulthood. METHOD: Fifty-two publications from 1970 to 2013 were included. RESULTS: The affected cognitive domains were working memory (g = -.65), attention (g = -.63), intelligence (g = -.56) and speed of processing (g = -.49). The impact of maltreatment was greater in young children (g = -.71) and less pronounced in adults (g = -.26). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that exposure to maltreatment has an impact on specific cognitive processes, regardless of age.
