Peer-reviewed article
Aging in the Aftermath of Adversity: Later-Life Impact of Institutional Child Abuse and Disclosure
Rohner S, Maercker A, Carr A, Thoma M ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines the long-term effects of institutional child abuse in Ireland on older adults aged 50-77 who experienced it as children. Researchers conducted interviews with 17 survivors to understand how childhood abuse affects their health and well-being in later life, and how disclosing their trauma influences recovery. The findings show that institutional abuse has lasting negative impacts across social, psychological, physical health and economic aspects, and that disclosure is complex, shaped by social, cultural and interpersonal factors like shame, fear, and the influence of religious institutions.
Key points
- Childhood institutional abuse has long-term negative impacts into later life across social, psychological, physical health, and socio-economic dimensions
- Disclosure of trauma is complex, with some survivors experiencing successful disclosure while others remain silent due to shame, fear, or lack of social acknowledgment
- Social, cultural and interpersonal contexts—including religious institutional power and socio-cultural values—significantly influence whether and how survivors disclose abuse
- Survivors reported re-exposure to trauma through reminders and described cycles of abuse linked to failure of systems and society
- Targeted health and social care services need to consider the complex contexts in which survivors are embedded
Limitations
This is a qualitative study with a small sample (n=17) of Irish survivors, which limits generalisability to other populations, countries and contexts. The study does not compare outcomes between those who disclose and those who do not, or measure specific health metrics quantitatively, so causal links between disclosure and recovery cannot be established.
Abstract
Abstract Until the 1990’s in Ireland, many children in institutional care experienced abuse and neglect, with lasting negative effects, including trauma symptoms and psychopathology. While trauma disclosure can be important for recovery, findings are inconsistent and often lack consideration of wider social and interpersonal contexts. As survivors of this historical adversity enter later-life stages, research is needed on the long-term impact and to clarify the role of disclosure. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the later-life impact of institutional child abuse on health and well-being, and the role of trauma disclosure and socio-interpersonal contexts in an older adult sample. Qualitative semi-structured interviews (60-120 minutes) were conducted with 17 Irish older adults, aged 50-77 years (mean age=60.7 years), who experienced childhood institutional abuse. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using Framework Analysis. Themes for ‘childhood and related later-life adversity’ included detrimental perceptions and interactions, re-exposure and reminders, failure of system and society, and cycle of abuse. Disclosure themes included successful, unsuccessful, and non-disclosure, as well as evidence of socio-interpersonal interactions (e.g., non-disclosure influenced by shame or fear, compounded by socio-cultural values, (lack of) social acknowledgment, or the power of the church in society). Results suggest that childhood institutional abuse can have long-term negative impacts into later life, including social, psychological, physical health, and socio-economic aspects. Disclosure results emphasize the need to consider the complex social, cultural, and interpersonal contexts within which an individual is embedded. This may enhance understanding and facilitate targeted health and social care services for this older adult population.