Effect of Childhood Poverty and Trauma on Adult Depressive Symptoms Among Young Men in Peri-Urban South African Settlements

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health Vol. 64; no. 1; pp. 79 - 85
• Main Authors: Hatcher, Abigail M., Gibbs, Andrew, Jewkes, Rachel, McBride, Ruari-Santiago, Peacock, Dean, Christofides, Nicola
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2019; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Abused children; Adolescent; Adult; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse - psychology; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Adverse Childhood Experiences - statistics & numerical data; Child abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child poverty; Childhood; Community-based survey; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - etiology; Depressive symptoms; Emotional abuse; Employment; Food security; Food Supply - statistics & numerical data; Healthy food; Humans; Hunger; Insecurity; Life events; Low income groups; Male; Men; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mental health; Parents & parenting; Peri-urban; Poverty; Poverty - psychology; Poverty - statistics & numerical data; Psychological abuse; Psychological distress; Psychological trauma; Risk Factors; Sexual abuse; Socioeconomic Factors; South Africa; South Africa - epidemiology; Symptoms; Trauma; Urban areas; Urban poverty; Young Adult; Young adults; Young men; South Africa; Child abuse; Poverty; Peri-urban; Mental health; Young men; Community-based survey; Depressive symptoms; South Africa
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.07.026
• ISSN: 1054-139X

Depressive disorders contribute to health declines among young men, but little is known about how childhood trauma alongside poverty alters depressive symptoms in young adulthood. These life-course dynamics are particularly under-researched in African settings. We assessed how childhood trauma and poverty were associated with depressive symptomology among young men (aged 18–30 years). Data were collected through community-based surveys in two peri-urban, South African settlements. Validated measures assessed childhood abuse, depressive symptomology, and food insecurity. Markers of childhood poverty and young adult socioeconomic predictors were also assessed. A total of 2,427 young men reported low levels of income, food security, and education. One-third of the sample (39.2%) reported symptoms consistent with probable depression. The majority (76.9%) reported one or more forms of childhood abuse, which was predicted by childhood hunger. Compared with counterparts without childhood trauma, those with physical, sexual, or psychological childhood abuse had a higher risk of later depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.37,2.42,2.39, respectively). A fully saturated linear mixed model showed each form of childhood trauma predicted increased depressive symptomology in adulthood, with the combination of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse strongly predicting increased depressive symptoms (coef=6.78, 95%CI=5.78–8.17). In all models, childhood poverty and adult poverty independently predicted young adult depressive symptoms. Household poverty may be a key reason that children experience abuse and, in turn, common mental disorders in young adulthood. Structural interventions for food security, employment, and parenting are essential to break the intergenerational nexus of poverty, trauma, and health in peri-urban settings.