The Child Welfare Information Gateway (2006) shows the immediate emotional effects of abuse are isolation, fear, and the inability to trust.  Lifelong consequences can include low self-esteem, depression, and relationship difficulties.  Researchers have found links between abuse and the following:

Poor Mental and Emotional Health.  As many as 80 percent of young adults, who had been abused, met the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder by age 21.

These young adults exhibited many psychological problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide attempts (Silverman, Reinherz, & Giaconia, 1996). Other psychological and emotional conditions associated with abuse and neglect includes panic disorder, dissociative disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and reactive attachment disorder (Teicher, 2000). (CWIG, 2006, Psychological, para 2)

Cognitive Difficulties.

The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being found that children removed to out-of-home care. due to abuse or neglect, tended to score lower than the general population on measures of cognitive capacity, language development, and academic achievement (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). (CWIG, 2006, Psychological, para 3)

Social Difficulties.

Children who are abused and neglected by caretakers often do not form secure attachments to them. These early attachment difficulties can lead to later difficulties in relationships with other adults and with peers (Morrison, Frank, Holland, & Kates, 1999). (CWIG, 2006, Psychological, para 4)