Childhood verbal abuse has a similar impact on later mental health as physical abuse, according to a study.

The effects of verbal abuse during childhood may not be immediately apparent, but they have a similar impact on mental health as physical abuse in later life.

An intergenerational study published in BMJ analyzed data from seven studies involving more than 20,000 people in the United Kingdom and including birth cohorts dating back to 1950.

Although physical child abuse was halved during that long period, verbal abuse increased. The prevalence of verbal abuse fell by half, from about 20% among those born between 1950 and 1979 to 10% in 2000 or later.

However, the prevalence of verbal abuse has increased from 12% before 1950 to around 20% since 2000, according to the research coordinated by Liverpool John Moores University (UK).

Worldwide, it is estimated that one in six children suffers physical abuse from their family members and caregivers , while verbal abuse, a source of toxic stress that can affect a child's neurobiological development , affects one in three.

Despite its high prevalence, policies and initiatives to prevent violence against children tend to focus on physical abuse, often overlooking the potential impact of verbal abuse, according to researchers.

Data analysis showed that having experienced physical or verbal abuse during childhood was independently associated with a similarly significant increase (52% and 64%, respectively) in the likelihood of having poor mental well-being in adulthood.

That likelihood more than doubled if the person had experienced both types of abuse , compared with having been exposed to neither, BMJ noted.

Even when physical abuse was part of their childhood experiences, those who had also experienced verbal abuse faced an additional risk, with the prevalence of poor mental well-being increasing from 16% without abuse to 22.5% (physical only), 24% (verbal only) and 29% (physical and verbal).

People born in 2000 or later were more likely to report all individual components of mental distress, as well as generalized mental distress.

Men were more likely to report never or rarely feeling optimistic, helpful, or close to other people , while women were more likely to report never or rarely feeling relaxed.

The authors noted that this was an observational study, which cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship. Furthermore, it relied on retrospective recall and reports of verbal and physical abuse, so inaccuracies may have been introduced.

They also failed to measure the severity of either type of abuse, the age at which it occurred, or the duration of the abuse , factors they suggest could be highly influential.

However, the team noted that verbal abuse may not manifest itself immediately enough to attract the attention of bystanders, physicians, or other support providers, but some effects can be just as damaging or long-lasting.