This summary presents findings from research that estimates that childhood maltreatment causes up to 40 percent of common mental health disorders and highlights the need to address the underlying drivers of child maltreatment.

A University of Sydney study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that childhood maltreatment causes up to 40 per cent of common, life-long mental health conditions. It is the first research in Australia to estimate the proportion of mental health conditions directly caused by childhood maltreatment, independent from other influences such as genetics and social environments.