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NEW YORK, Nov. 3 – According to a new study, when children are exposed to early-life violence, they may develop more rapidly, and they may be more likely to develop symptoms of depression.
A study from Jennifer Sumner, Natalie Colich, Monica Uddin, Don Armstrong and Katie McLaughlin reveals an association between early life and biological violence.
The study, published in Biological Psychiatry, found that physical, emotional and sexual abuse is associated with faster biological aging. Individuals exposed to such forms of violence were seen to be faster than those who were not. Their epigenetic age – a cellular metric of biological aging – was also seen to advance more quickly.
The students studied a sample of 247 children aged eight to 16 years old. The findings revealed that the signs of accelerated aging as early as 20 years old.
For children exposed to physical violence early in life, the researchers found that accelerated epigenetic aging was associated with higher levels of depression.
The study also looked at "passive" forms of violence, such as neglect and food insecurity. The researchers found that they were exposed to such forms of adversity.
The researchers' findings indicate that different forms of violence or adversity may be different.
As a result, early or late puberty development in certain individuals could be indicative of the nature of violence or adversity. Indeed, accelerated pubertal stage development could potentially be used as a means to identify children.
Drawing on the study, the researchers call for greater government investment to help raise awareness and reduce violence in home environments. – AFP-Relaxnews
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