Child abuse, other early experiences and depression: I. Epidemiology of parental loss, child abuse, perceived rearing experience and early life events among a Japanese community population

Experiences during childhood, such as parental loss, abuse by parents, unloving or overprotective rearing behaviours, and major life events have been thought of as important in child development and adult mental health. However, most previous studies were undertaken from the Western countries. Data in Japan were collected for the reference purpose as well as to determine the effects of sex and age cohorts in these phenomena. A total of 220 inhabitants (96 men and 124 women) aged 18 or more in a provincial town in Japan were successfully examined. Women aged 55 or more were more likely to report early maternal loss (i.e. death or separation before age of 16). Overall, men were more likely than women to report having been slapped and punched by the mother. Women aged 55 or more were less likely to report health-related negative as well as positive events as children. These findings suggest that, for this population, early experiences, in some cases, depend on the sex and the age cohort.