Childhood Psychological Abuse and Mental Health of Youth

Mental health is clearly an integral part of health. It is part of an individual’s capacity to lead a happy and fulfilling life. As a form of child maltreatment psychological abuse can have a significant impact upon the mental health. The current study examined the influencing role of psychological abuse on mental health among 211 Keralite undergraduate youth between 18 to 24 years from data collected using Mental Health Inventory and Childhood Experiences of Care and Abuse Questionnaire-2. Results revealed average mental health of youth with no significant gender difference in mental health and in the prevalence of psychological abuse except in its severity from father. Psychological abuse significantly correlated with mental health variables. A 2 way ANOVA showed significant main effect of severe maternal psychological abuse on mental health. Severity of parental psychological abuse significantly predicted poor mental health (18.7% variability). The findings indicate the need for more effective measures to prevent psychological abuse of children.