NCJ Number
232388
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 15 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2010 Pages: 305-314
Date Published
November 2010
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effect of shame on the relationship between neglect and depression.
Abstract
Neglected children may be at increased risk for depressive symptoms. This study examines shame-proneness as an outcome of child neglect and as a potential explanatory variable in the relation between neglect and depressive symptoms. Participants were 111 children (52 with a Child Protective Services [CPS] allegation of neglect) seen at age 7. Neglected children reported more shame-proneness and more depressive symptoms than comparison children. Guilt-proneness, in contrast, was unrelated to neglect and depressive symptoms, indicating specificity for shame-proneness. The potential role of shame as a process variable that can help explain how some neglected children exhibit depressive symptoms is discussed. Tables and references (Published Abstract)