This narrative research review examines why prospective and retrospective measures of maltreatment differ.
In this review, researchers draw on multi-disciplinary research and present an integrated framework to explain maltreatment measurement disagreement. The authors conclude that a greater understanding of maltreatment measurement disagreement may point to new ways to conceptualize and assess maltreatment. Furthermore, it may help uncover mechanisms underlying maltreatment-related psychopathology and targets for novel interventions. The authors identify three interrelated domains: first, methodological issues related to measurement and data collection method; second, the role of memory in influencing retrospective reports of maltreatment; and finally, the motivations individuals may have to disclose, withhold, or fabricate information about maltreatment. Childhood maltreatment contributes to a large mental health burden worldwide. Different measures of childhood maltreatment are not equivalent and may capture meaningful differences. In particular, prospective and retrospective measures of maltreatment identify different groups of individuals and are differentially associated with psychopathology. However, the reasons behind these discrepancies have not yet been comprehensively mapped. (Published Abstract Provided)