The effect of adverse childhood experiences on depression, psychological distress and suicidal thought in Vietnamese adolescents: Findings from multiple cross-sectional studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 102134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Truc Thanh Thai ◽  
Phuong Le Tran Cao ◽  
Loan Xuan Kim ◽  
Doan Phuoc Tran ◽  
Minh Binh Bui ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaoluwa Samson Agbaje ◽  
Chinwe Patience Nnaji ◽  
Evelyn Nwanabe Nwagu ◽  
Cylia Nkechi Iweama ◽  
Prince Christian Ifeanachor Umoke ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) constitutes public health problems linked to adverse mental outcomes such as psychological distress during adulthood. This study examines the prevalence of ACEs and psychological distress and explores the association between ACEs and psychological distress and demographic factors among young adults. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 330 students from May 2018 to July 2018. The participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and the sociodemographic profile scale. We used descriptive statistics to describe the prevalence of ACEs and psychological distress in our sample. After adjusting for the demographic covariates, ACEs’ association with psychological distress was determined using binary and multivariate logistic regressions. Results A total of 203 students with a mean age of 20.76 ± 2.73 years completed the study. The total mean ACE score was 4.58 ± 1.59, and the total mean psychological distress score was 20.76 ± 6.31. Most of the participants (86.7%) experienced ACEs, 14.8% reported experiencing one ACE, 30.5% reported experiencing 2–3 ACEs, and 41.3% reported experiencing 4+ ACEs. Further, about 85% of the youth have experienced at least one form of sexual abuse during childhood, and females reported a higher number of ACEs than males. Sexual abuse (OR = 2.36; 95% CI: 2.36, 7.65), physical neglect (OR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.57, 5.31), overall ACE exposure (OR = 6.66; 95% CI: 2.41, 18.42), having 1 ACE (OR = 4.40; 95% CI: 1.32, 14.70), having 2–3 ACEs (OR = 4.13; 95% CI: 1.39, 12.29), and having 4+ (OR = 11.67; 95% CI: 3.95, 34.45) were significantly associated with psychological distress. Conclusions ACEs are prevalent among young adults and are associated with psychological distress in adulthood. Furthermore, parental factors are associated with ACEs and psychological distress. Thus, implementation of school, community-and facility-based routine mental health screening programs is essential for prompt identification, prevention, and treatment of youth with childhood adversities and poor mental health outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawid Gondek ◽  
Praveetha Patalay ◽  
Amanda Sacker ◽  
Thierry Gagne ◽  
Andrea Danese ◽  
...  

Background The evidence on the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and psychological distress in adulthood tends to rely on cross-sectional studies. In this 50-year long longitudinal study, we examined the association between both prospectively and retrospectively reported ACEs and adulthood trajectories of psychological distress between age 23 and 50. We also studied potential effect modifiers of these associations, spanning social and developmental domains of child development. Methods The sample comprised 8,055 participants of the 1958 National Child Development Study. Psychological distress was measured by the Malaise Inventory at ages 23-50. We used growth curve analysis and multinomial regression. Results After accounting for covariates, those with more ACEs experienced persistently higher psychological distress between age 23 and 50, with a graded relationship observed. The associations were relatively consistent across prospectively and retrospectively reported ACEs. Those with prospective or retrospective ACE score of 1 compared with 0, had on average between 0.27 and 0.39 higher distress throughout adulthood. In relative terms, the prospective ACE score of 2+ (vs 0) was associated with 3.31 and the retrospective ACE score of 4+ (vs 0) with 5.76 (95% CI 4.24 to 7.82) times higher risk of being in the 'high symptoms' compared with the 'low symptoms' trajectory of distress. None of the potential effect modifiers altered the association between ACEs and trajectories of distress. Conclusion If the associations between ACEs and trajectories of distress are causal, this emphasises the need to act early to prevent psychopathology across the adult life course.


F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 1978 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Haaris Sheikh ◽  
Sadiq Naveed ◽  
Ahmed Waqas ◽  
Ihtisham Tahir Jaura

Introduction: The present study explores the association of adverse childhood experiences with impulsivity and functional identity among Pakistani adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 260 Pakistani medical students aged 18 and above were approached. A consent form, a questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, and an English versions of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) scale, Functions of Identity scale (FIS) and Barratt’s Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) was employed in this study. All data were analyzed in SPSS v. 20. Results: A total of 122 (52.6%) of respondents had experienced at least one adverse childhood experience. According to linear regression analysis, ACE scores were significantly associated with increasing age, increasing order in birth, lower scores on functional identity structure and non-planning impulsivity, and higher scores on future (functional identity) and motor impulsivity. Conclusions: A high proportion of Pakistani medical students reported adverse childhood experiences, which lead to impulsive behaviors and poor functional identities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert C. Whitaker ◽  
Tracy Dearth-Wesley ◽  
Allison N. Herman ◽  
Amy E. Block ◽  
Mary Howard Holderness ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and being female are distinct risk factors for having a major depressive episode (MDE) or an anxiety disorder (AD) in adulthood, but it is unclear whether these two risk factors are synergistic. The purpose of this study was to determine whether exposure to ACEs and being female are more than additive (synergistic) in their association with MDE and AD in US adults. Methods We pooled cross-sectional survey data in the Midlife in the United States study from two nationally-representative cohorts of English-speaking US adults. Data from the first cohort were collected in 2004–2006 and from the second in 2011–2014. Data from both cohorts included the 12-month prevalence of MDE and AD (generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder) assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form, gender (here termed female and male), and the count of five categories of exposure to ACEs: physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; household alcohol or substance abuse; and parental separation or divorce. Results Of the 5834 survey respondents, 4344 (74.5%) with complete data on ACEs were included in the analysis. Mean (SD) age was 54.1 (13.8) years and 53.9% were female. The prevalences of MDE, AD, and exposure to 3–5 categories of ACEs were 13.7, 10.0, and 12.5%, respectively. After adjusting for covariates (age, race, and current and childhood socioeconomic disadvantage), for those with both risk factors (female and 3–5 ACEs) the prevalence of MDE was 26.9%. This was 10.2% (95% CI: 1.8, 18.5%) higher than the expected prevalence based on the additive associations of the two risk factors. The adjusted prevalence of AD among females with 3–5 ACEs was 21.9%, which was 11.4% (95% CI: 4.0, 18.9%) higher than the expected prevalence. Conclusions For both MDE and AD, there was synergy between the two risk factors of exposure to ACEs and being female. Identification and treatment of MDE and AD may benefit from understanding the mechanisms involved in the synergistic interaction of gender with ACEs.


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