On the surface, "The Compound Effect" is a depiction of someone physically disintegrating as a cumulative consequence of prolonged verbal abuse.

Although, the abuser in this image doesn't exclusively refer to an external tormentor; but instead, could also represent a denigrating voice within our own heads (perhaps the reason why the screaming face is contained within a frame/container), eroding confidence and self-worth (from within) as the subject contends with feelings of inadequacy.

Either way, the impact of those words, whether heard or silently spoken to one's self, can severely affect our emotional wellbeing and impair our ability to function optimally, especially when sustained over a long period of time.