Physical punishment for children such as spanking is linked to an increased incidence of problems, including mood and anxiety disorders or drug and alcohol abuse, research at the University of Manitoba, Canada, suggests.
"Individuals who are physically punished have an increased likelihood of having mental health disorders. Approximately 2 percent to 7 percent of mental disorders in the study were linked to physical punishment," lead author Tracie Afifi says.
For the study they examined data of 35,000 U.S. adults. The interviews took place in 2004 and 2005. About 1,300 reported experienced harsh physical punishment growing up.
