New Study Links Child Abuse, DNA Damage

Beyond the psychological and emotional stress of childhood abuse and neglect, a Brown University study shows a link with damage to victims’ DNA in later life.

The study, published in October in the journal Biological Psychiatry, examined the DNA of 31 adults who had reported experiencing maltreatment as children, but who had not been diagnosed with any major psychiatric disorders.

The researchers found that their subjects had shortened telomeres on their DNA strands, shorter than those found in otherwise similar adults who did not experience childhood mistreatment. Telomeres are the “end-caps” of DNA strands, and their shortening is an indication of advanced cell aging.

The study is yet further evidence that child abuse and neglect can have far-reaching effects on an individual, all the way down to the cellular level.

Read more online at: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/284493