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Impact of child maltreatment on the costs of health service use and productivity loss: findings from the Australian child maltreatment study
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 Impact of child maltreatment on the costs of health service use and productivity loss
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Child maltreatment (CM) poses a substantial health burden, but its impact on healthcare costs and productivity loss in Australia remains unclear. CM involves physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and exposure to domestic violence. CM is a major public health issue and often results in long-lasting impacts on children's physical and mental health.
The objective of this study was to estimate the costs of health service use and productivity loss associated with CM in Australia. It finds CM imposes substantial health service use and productivity costs in Australia. The findings highlight the urgent need to invest in preventive interventions for CM in Australia and employment support for many Australians who have experienced CM.
Key findings
- For each individual in the labour force with CM, there was an annual productivity loss of $2750.
- Additionally, individuals who reported any CM also had an extra health service utilisation (HSU) cost of approximately $1670 annually compared to those without CM.
- At the national population level, the additional annual costs of HSU and productivity loss due to CM amounted to roughly $21.6 billion and $24.1 billion, respectively.
- The costs of productivity loss and HSU also increased with the number of CM subtypes experienced, with a significant portion of HSU costs related to mental health services.
