Old Before Their Time: A Scientific Life Investigating How Maltreatment Harms Children and the Adults They Become

Old Before Their Time is the deeply personal story of a 35-year scientific investigation of the effects of childhood sexual abuse on child development and adult outcomes. The startling conclusion is that early childhood trauma accelerates biological aging of the body and the mind.

The reader will gain a comprehensive perspective on the many ways in which maltreatment embeds itself in a child’s mind, body, and behavior and is expressed across generations. It concludes that the prevention of child maltreatment is the single most powerful target for the prevention of mental illness, and for reducing premature death from common illnesses.

One in five women and one in eight men report a history of child sexual abuse. As adults, victims often have questions about how it has affected them. Old Before Their Time provides answers as well as recommendations to improve child protection and treatment services which impact millions of children and families every year. Written for a general science reader, this engaging book is well-referenced for professionals who work with children or adults with histories of child maltreatment.

Frank W. Putnam, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Recipient of numerous awards, he is internationally recognized for his research on the psychobiological effects of child maltreatment.