What can result from damaging a child's mental health?

The impact of damaging a child's mental health is primarily associated with emotional abuse. Emotional abuse involves behaviors that harm a child's self-worth or emotional well-being, such as constant criticism, rejection, or scapegoating. These actions can significantly affect a child's mental health, leading to long-term emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, and difficulties in social and emotional functioning.

While physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse can also have detrimental effects on a child's overall well-being, the specific question addresses the repercussions on mental health, which align most closely with the characteristics of emotional abuse. Emotional abuse is often insidious, as it may not leave physical marks but can inflict deep psychological scars that can persist into adulthood.