Emotional neglect

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Wikipedia

Emotional neglect
Other namesChildhood emotional neglect; emotional unresponsiveness
Specialty
  • Clinical psychology
  • Psychiatry
  • Social work
  • Child welfare
SymptomsEmotional unavailability or unresponsiveness; lack of emotional support, warmth, affection, or validation
ComplicationsAttachment and relationship difficulties; increased risk of mental health problems

Emotional neglect is a form of neglect in which a person responsible for another's care (often a parent or caregiver) fails to provide adequate emotional support, responsiveness, affection, or validation. In child protection and public health frameworks, it is commonly treated as a form of child neglect and/or child maltreatment.[1][2]

Definition

Definitions vary across jurisdictions and professional bodies, but emotional neglect is generally characterized by persistent emotional unavailability and/or failure to respond to a child's affective needs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes neglect as failure to meet a child's basic physical and emotional needs, including having feelings validated and appropriately responded to.[1]

Clinical and safeguarding guidance from the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) states that emotional neglect should be considered when there is emotional unavailability and unresponsiveness from a parent or carer, particularly toward infants, and suspected when this pattern is persistent.[3]

In medical literature, emotional neglect has been described as failure to provide love, security, affection, emotional support, or psychological care when needed.[4]

Classification and distinction

Emotional neglect is often discussed alongside psychological abuse (or emotional abuse), but they are distinct concepts. While emotional abuse involves acts of commission (doing something harmful, such as spurning, terrorizing, or isolating a child), emotional neglect involves acts of omission (failing to do something necessary, such as providing comfort or social interaction).[5]

Professional definitions often group them under "psychological maltreatment". For example, the Association of Professionals Solving the Abuse of Children (APSAC) includes "emotional unresponsiveness" as a subtype of psychological maltreatment, characterized by a caregiver who is detached, uninvolved, and fails to express affection.[6]

Signs and symptoms

Because emotional neglect is characterized by the absence of behavior rather than the presence of visible injuries, it can be difficult for teachers, doctors, and even the victims themselves to recognize.

In children

Signs of emotional neglect in children may include:[7][3]

  • Infants: Failure to thrive, lack of responsiveness to caregivers, weak crying, or apathy.
  • Preschool/School-age: Delayed emotional development, speech disorders, difficulty socializing, low self-esteem, and indiscriminately seeking affection from strangers (disinhibited social engagement).
  • Behavior: Some neglected children may become passive and withdrawn, while others may display aggressive or hyperactive behaviors to garner attention.

In adults

Adults who experienced childhood emotional neglect may not recall specific trauma but often struggle with emotional regulation and identity. The usual symptoms are:

  • Alexithymia: Difficulty identifying, naming, or expressing their own emotions.
  • Emptiness: A chronic sense of numbness or feeling "hollow" inside.
  • Hyper-independence: A reluctance to ask for help or rely on others, stemming from the early lesson that their needs would not be met.
  • Self-criticism: A tendency to judge themselves harshly or feel deeply flawed.

Associated outcomes

The World Health Organization describes child maltreatment (including neglect) as a global public health problem with serious lifelong consequences for health and development.[2]

A systematic review and meta-analysis of childhood psychological maltreatment (emotional abuse and emotional neglect) reported that these experiences are associated with a range of adult mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, substance misuse, and suicidal ideation/attempts (with effect sizes varying by outcome and study design).[8]

The CDC similarly notes that children who are abused or neglected can experience long-term impacts on health, opportunity, and well-being, including increased risk of mental health problems and other adverse outcomes.[1]

Neurobiology

Research indicates that neglect can alter brain development, particularly in regions responsible for emotional regulation and executive function. Unlike physical trauma, which may trigger an overactive fear response, neglect is characterized by a lack of necessary stimulation (deprivation).

  • White Matter: Studies using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have found that neglected children show white matter abnormalities in the corpus callosum and superior longitudinal fasciculus. These changes can impair the brain's communication pathways related to attention and emotional control.[9]
  • HPA Axis: Chronic neglect can dysregulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis), leading to abnormal cortisol levels. This can result in either blunted stress responses or chronic hyper-arousal.[10]

Prevention and response

Public health approaches emphasize strengthening children's environments and relationships. The CDC states that offering children safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments helps prevent child abuse and neglect and can lessen negative effects when maltreatment occurs.[11]

In the United States, federal policy (via CAPTA) provides a minimum framework for how child abuse and neglect are defined for state guidance, while specific definitions and procedures vary by state and territory.[12] A U.S. Children's Bureau resource summarizes that state civil laws define reportable abuse and neglect (including emotional abuse and neglect categories) and are updated over time.[13]

Treatment

Treatment for emotional neglect often focuses on identifying and validating emotions that were previously ignored.

  • Psychotherapy: Therapies such as Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Schema therapy are used to help individuals recognize maladaptive thought patterns (e.g., "my needs don't matter"). Trauma-informed care is essential to avoid re-traumatization.
  • Emotion-focused work: For adults, treatment often involves learning to name emotions and "re-parenting" oneself—treating oneself with the compassion that was missing in childhood.[14]
  • Family therapy: In cases involving current child neglect, interventions often focus on parent training programs to improve caregiver responsiveness and attachment security.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "About Child Abuse and Neglect". Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Child maltreatment". World Health Organization. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Recommendations - Child maltreatment: when to suspect maltreatment in under 18s - Guidance - NICE". NICE. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  4. ↑ McDonald, Kelly Colleen (15 January 2007). "Child Abuse: Approach and Management". American Family Physician. 75 (2): 221–228. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  5. ↑ Webb, Jonice (19 July 2022). "How to Tell Early Emotional Abuse From Emotional Neglect". Psychology Today. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "APSAC ANNOUNCES REVISIONS TO ITS DEFINITIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MALTREATMENT". Association of Professionals Solving the Abuse of Children. APSAC. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "Emotional abuse signs, symptoms and effects". NSPCC. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  8. ↑ Xiao, Zhuoni; Baldwin, Mina Murat; Wong, Siu Ching; Obsuth, Ingrid; Meinck, Franziska; Murray, Aja Louise (December 2023). "The Impact of Childhood Psychological Maltreatment on Mental Health Outcomes in Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis". Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. 24 (5): 3049–3064. doi:10.1177/15248380221122816. PMC 10594835. PMID 36123796. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "Child Neglect Alone Alters Brain Pathways". Neuroscience News. 29 August 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  10. ↑ Teicher, Martin H.; Samson, Jacqueline A. (March 2016). "Annual Research Review: Enduring neurobiological effects of childhood abuse and neglect". Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 57 (3): 241–266. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12507. PMC 4760853. PMID 26725208.
  11. ↑ "Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect". Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "What is child abuse or neglect? What is the definition of child abuse and neglect?". HHS.gov. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  13. ↑ "Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect". Child Welfare Information Gateway. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. June 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "Childhood Emotional Neglect". Center for Mindful Therapy. Retrieved 29 December 2025.