Memories of childhood trauma remain stable over time but change more often in children than adults

Traumatic memories of childhood maltreatment typically remain consistent over time, according to a major new study led by King’s College London and published in Nature Mental Health. The paper focuses on traumatic memories of childhood maltreatment, which could include emotional, physical or sexual abuse, or neglect. While memories of childhood maltreatment remain consistent, memories of childhood trauma reported in childhood are significantly less consistent over time than those reported in adulthood.

This research finding suggests there may be a window in childhood when traumatic memories are most open to change, and when therapeutic intervention could have the greatest long-term impact.

The research draws on data from nearly 40,000 people across 49 studies, with an average time between assessments of about two and a half years. It found that, overall, people’s accounts of childhood maltreatment are more consistent over time than is often assumed, refuting a widespread view that memories of abuse and neglect are inherently unreliable. This finding has direct relevance for how courts, social care professionals and clinicians interpret what children and adults tell them about their experiences.

The study also found that roughly one in five participants changed what they reported between assessments. The authors are clear that this should not be read as evidence of dishonesty. Changes in disclosure can reflect normal memory development or a shifting understanding of what happened, and professionals should avoid drawing premature conclusions when accounts vary over time.

“Accounts of childhood maltreatment are more reliable than is often assumed, but that reliability is not uniform. Age matters, the type of maltreatment matters, and the context in which disclosure happens matters. Understanding those differences is important for everyone working in this area,” said Oonagh Coleman, lead author and postdoctoral researcher.

The most significant finding is about age. Among adults, accounts of childhood maltreatment stayed consistent regardless of how much time had passed. Among children, they were noticeably less so and became less stable the longer the gap between assessments. The research team believes this reflects the fact that children’s memory systems are still developing, leaving early memories more susceptible to reinterpretation as children grow and come to understand their experiences in new ways.

Reports of neglect were less consistent than reports of abuse, which the researchers attribute to neglect’s being harder to anchor in memory. Unlike a specific abusive event, neglect involves the absence of care, something that may be reinterpreted as a child’s sense of what is normal shifts with age.

Further research is needed to directly test the mechanisms underlying stability and change in memories of childhood trauma and to examine stability over longer periods.

“The greater malleability of traumatic memories in childhood may highlight a window when therapeutic intervention is most effective. Delivering trauma-focused treatment early in life, before memories become more fully integrated into a child’s developing sense of identity, may significantly improve long-term outcomes,” said Professor Andrea Danese, senior author and professor of child & adolescent psychiatry.

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Lisa Lock

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Andrew Zinin

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