There is a strong relationship between childhood abuse and subsequent development of clinical depression.
However, there has been only limited research into the association between various types of childhood abuse/neglect and risk of developing clinical depression.
More attention has been paid in the past to physical and sexual abuse as risk factors for the development of major depression.
This meta-analysis estimated the associations between depression and different types of childhood maltreatment:
1. Antipathy (parental criticism and hostility, coldness or rejection shown toward the child, including scapegoating the child in contrast to treatment of siblings)
2. Neglect (failure to provide for the child's basic material needs like food, clothing, shelter, and protection, or for developmental needs like interest in school, friends, child's happiness, health, and well-being).
3. Psychological abuse (includes humiliation, terrorization, or intentional deprivation of needs or valued objects usually in the context of a parental, highly controlling and domineering relationship with the child).
4. Physical abuse (Violence directed towards the child by a household member including hitting about the head or being hit hard around the body with the hands/fists, being hit with an implement, kicked, bitten, or burned, or threats or use of a gun or knife).
5. Sexual abuse (including intercourse, violation or penetration with an object, oral sex, touching of breasts/genitals, requiring the child to watch sexual activity or pornography, verbal solicitations for sex, age-inappropriate verbal content).