Children of people with Huntington’s disease are more likely to experience trauma growing up, which may contribute to mental health problems in later life.
A study found that emotional abuse in childhood was the strongest predictor of psychological distress in adulthood among those from Huntington’s-affected families.
Huntington’s disease is a progressive genetic brain disorder that causes involuntary movements, cognitive decline and emotional changes, typically beginning between ages 40 and 50.
Researchers in Italy compared 38 adults raised in families affected by Huntington’s with 20 adults whose parents had no neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions.
Participants from Huntington’s families were on average 9.6 years old when their parent developed symptoms. Of the 27 with genetic data, 15 tested positive for the Huntington’s gene.
Standardised questionnaires were used to assess childhood trauma (CTQ-SF) and adult psychological distress (SCL-90-R).
Those from Huntington’s families reported significantly more emotional and physical abuse and neglect in childhood than the control group, but there was no difference in reported sexual abuse.
They also scored higher in all nine psychological distress categories in adulthood, though only depressive and psychotic symptoms reached statistical significance.
“The sooner participants were exposed to their parents’ condition, the higher their self-reported childhood traumatic experiences,” the researchers wrote.
Childhood trauma explained just over 50 per cent of the variance in adult psychological distress, with emotional abuse identified as the most significant predictor.
Distress levels did not differ significantly between those who tested positive, negative or had unknown genetic status.
“Although exploratory, our findings suggest that renewed attention should be given to the potential adverse childhood experiences, particularly emotional abuse, as well as physical abuse and emotional and physical neglect, as these have been shown to occur more frequently within [Huntington’s] families,” the researchers wrote.
About half of people with a parent affected by Huntington’s will inherit the condition themselves, adding another layer of emotional stress during childhood.
The researchers noted that symptoms “may include anxiety, low mood, compulsive behaviours, and impaired emotion processing,” meaning families “often face a significant burden.”
“Additional studies are warranted to corroborate and expand on the present results by addressing further potential psychological factors as well as to develop targeted interventions to support families affected by the disease and promote long-term mental well-being,” the team wrote.
They suggested youth-focused support organisations could help reduce isolation and mitigate long-term impacts for children in Huntington’s-affected households.
The study authors acknowledged limitations, including potential memory bias in how participants recalled early experiences. They called for larger, longitudinal research to confirm the findings and guide future interventions.
