Emotional neglect

Emotional neglect is a form of neglect in which a person responsible for another's care 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.

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 describes neglect as failure to meet a child's basic physical and emotional needs, including having feelings validated and appropriately responded to.
Clinical and safeguarding guidance from the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence 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.
In medical literature, emotional neglect has been described as failure to provide love, security, affection, emotional support, or psychological care when needed.

Classification and distinction

Emotional neglect is often discussed alongside psychological abuse, but they are distinct concepts. While emotional abuse involves acts of commission, emotional neglect involves acts of omission.
Professional definitions often group them under "psychological maltreatment". For example, the Association of Professionals Solving the Abuse of Children includes "emotional unresponsiveness" as a subtype of psychological maltreatment, characterized by a caregiver who is detached, uninvolved, and fails to express affection.

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:

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.
Behavior: Some neglected children may become passive and withdrawn, while others may display aggressive or hyperactive behaviors to garner attention.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 as a global public health problem with serious lifelong consequences for health and development.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of childhood psychological maltreatment reported that these experiences are associated with a range of adult mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, substance misuse, and suicidal ideation/attempts.
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.

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.

White Matter: Studies using diffusion tensor imaging 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.
HPA Axis: Chronic neglect can dysregulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, leading to abnormal cortisol levels. This can result in either blunted stress responses or chronic hyper-arousal.
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.
In the United States, federal policy 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. A U.S. Children's Bureau resource summarizes that state civil laws define reportable abuse and neglect and are updated over time.

Treatment

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

Psychotherapy: Therapies such as Cognitive behavioral therapy and Schema therapy are used to help individuals recognize maladaptive thought patterns. 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.
Family therapy: In cases involving current child neglect, interventions often focus on parent training programs to improve caregiver responsiveness and attachment security.