Adverse Childhood Experiences, Stressful Life Events or Demographic Factors: Which are Important in Women's Depression? A 2-Year Follow-Up Population Study

2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 627-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsi Honkalampi ◽  
Kirsi Honkalampi ◽  
Jukka Hintikka ◽  
Kaisa Haatainen ◽  
Heli Koivumaa-Honkanen ◽  
...  

Objective: The aim of this study was to simultaneously test adverse background factors, namely adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), stressful life events and prior depressive symptoms, for their ability to predict recovery and non-recovery from depression in women among the general population. Method: A stratified random sample of women (n=835) from the general population was collected at baseline in 1999. Depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI-21), ACEs and background factors were assessed by postal questionnaire at baseline. Two years later, stressful life events during the study phase, social support, use of health services and current depression (BDI≥13) were similarly assessed. Results: Adverse childhood experiences were common among depressed women and these past experiences together with the use of health services were associated with recovery from depression. Financial difficulties and a poor subjective health status associated with non-recovery and current stressful life events increased the likelihood of depression on follow-up. Furthermore, the important variables explaining depression on follow-up were the quality of social support and the existence of prior depressive symptoms at baseline. Conclusions: Our results suggest that women's current depression especially associates with stressful life events, insufficient social support, poor subjective health and financial difficulties. It seems possible that past adverse experiences predispose women to depression, but current stressful events actualize these symptoms. In addition, use of health services are associated with recovery in women who had ACEs.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelie Werbart Törnblom ◽  
Kimmo Sorjonen ◽  
Bo Runeson ◽  
Per-Anders Rydelius

Objective: Most empirically anchored psychological models of suicide focus either on the perceived situational stress or on vulnerability factors and coping deficits. The interaction between life stressors and vulnerability factors is less explored.Methods: This case-control study examines interactions between life events and coping strategies in three groups of young people: cases of suicide, cases of other sudden violent death (SVD), and control cases.Results: Four coping strategies, two more adaptive and two more maladaptive, were identified. Distinctive of the suicide and the SVD group was significantly less Planful Problem-Solving, and more Escape-Avoidance and Confrontive Coping than among the controls. Furthermore, Confrontive Coping had significantly higher level in the SVD group than in the suicide group. Between-group differences were partly accounted for differences in negative life events, early and late in life. Both target groups experienced significantly more adverse childhood experiences and recent stressful life events than the controls—the suicide group being more exposed to recent stressful life events even in comparison with the SVD group. This might indicate that adverse childhood experiences are a risk factor for both causes of death, whereas proximal stressful life events are a risk factor for death by suicide to a higher degree than for SVD.Conclusions: Improved understanding of the interplay between life events, both in the far past and present, and coping styles, may facilitate the identification of young people at risk of suicide and violent death.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 250-250
Author(s):  
Kyle Bourassa ◽  
Line Rasmussen ◽  
Terrie Moffitt ◽  
Avshalom Caspi

Abstract Stressful life events are associated with poorer health, but the physiological mechanisms of this association are unclear. One mechanism that might play a role in this association is systemic inflammation. Using participants (n=828) from the Dunedin Longitudinal Study, we studied the association of stressful life events and inflammation from age 32 to 45. Inflammation was assessed using C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and suPAR. We examined associations between stressful life events and systemic inflammation, as well as whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) moderated these associations. More adult stressful life events were associated with greater suPAR at age 38 (r = 0.12, p < .001) and age 45 (r = 0.19, p < .001). CRP and IL-6 did not evidence consistent associations at age 38 and 45. An increase in suPAR from age 38 to 45 was associated with more stressful life events in the interim, β = 0.10, p = .001. SuPAR at age 45 was independently associated with both childhood ACEs, β = 0.20, p < .001, and adult stressful life events, β = 0.18, p < .001. ACEs significantly moderated the association of stressful life events and suPAR at age 45, β = 0.12, p = .001, such that people with more childhood ACEs evidenced a stronger association between stressful life events and inflammation in midlife. These results were robust to controlling for clinical (sex, body mass, smoking) and childhood covariates (childhood IQ, SES, self-control). Systemic inflammation is one mechanism through which stressful life events could impact health.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee-Ju Kang ◽  
Robert Stewart ◽  
Bo-Ok Jeong ◽  
Seon-Young Kim ◽  
Kyung-Yeol Bae ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackground:This study aimed to assess the prevalence, incidence, and persistence of suicidal ideation (SI), and to investigate the psychosocial factors associated with these.Methods:A total of 1,204 community dwelling elderly adults aged 65 years or older were evaluated at baseline, 909 (75%) of whom were followed two years later. The presence of SI was identified using the questions from the community version of the Geriatric Mental State (GMS) diagnostic schedule (GMS B3) at both baseline and follow-up interviews. Baseline measures included demographic status, years of education, rural/urban residence, accommodation, past and current occupation, monthly income, marital status, stressful life events, social support deficits, number of physical illnesses, severity of pain, physical activity, disability, depressive symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, cognitive function, alcohol consumption, and smoking.Results:Baseline SI prevalence, follow-up incidence (SI rate at follow-up of 805 elderly subjects who did not have SI at baseline), and persistence (SI rate at follow-up of 104 elderly subjects who had SI at baseline) were 11.5%, 9.6%, and 36.5%, respectively. Baseline SI was independently associated with no current employment, lower monthly income, stressful life events, more severe pain, presence of disability, depressive symptoms, and smoking. Incident SI was independently predicted by baseline unmarried status, social support deficit, severe pain, presence of depressive symptoms, and smoking. Persistent SI was independently predicted by baseline stressful life events and depressive symptoms.Conclusions:Depressive symptoms were independently associated with prevalent, incident, and persistent SI, but other predictors varied according to incidence and persistence outcomes.


1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen M. Jennison

This article is an analysis of stressful life events, the buffering hypothesis, and alcohol use in a national sample of 1,418 respondents 60 years of age and over. The results indicate that older adults who experience stressful losses are significantly more likely to drink excessively than those who have not experienced such losses or who have experienced them to a lesser extent. Increased drinking among older adults may therefore be a reaction to life circumstances in which alcohol represents an attempt to cope with traumatic loss, personal as well as within the kinship network. Supportive resources of spouse, family, friends, and church appear to have a stress-buffering effects that reduces the excessive-drinking response to life crisis. Data suggest, however, that older persons are vulnerable to the magnitude of losses experienced as they grow older and lose more of their family, friends, and peers. These stressors appear to seriously impact their drinking behavior and are not effectively buffered. Respondents report that drinking may increase during periods of prolonged exposure to emotionally depleting life change and loss, when supportive needs may exceed the capacities of personal and social support resources.


2018 ◽  
Vol 214 (3) ◽  
pp. 146-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuhui Wan ◽  
Ruoling Chen ◽  
Shuangshuang Ma ◽  
Danielle McFeeters ◽  
Ying Sun ◽  
...  

BackgroundThere is little investigation on the interaction effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and social support on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in community adolescent populations, or gender differences in these effects.AimsTo examine the individual and interaction effects of ACEs and social support on NSSI, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in adolescents, and explore gender differences.MethodA school-based health survey was conducted in three provinces in China between 2013–2014. A total of 14 820 students aged 10–20 years completed standard questionnaires, to record details of ACEs, social support, NSSI, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt.ResultsOf included participants, 89.4% reported one or more category of ACEs. The 12-month prevalence of NSSI, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt was 26.1%, 17.5% and 4.4%, respectively; all were significantly associated with increased ACEs and lower social support. The multiple adjusted odds ratio of NSSI in low versus high social support was 2.27 (95% CI 1.85–2.67) for girls and 1.81 (95% CI 1.53–2.14) for boys, and their ratio (Ratio of two odds ratios, ROR) was 1.25 (P = 0.037). Girls with high ACEs scores (5–6) and moderate or low social support also had a higher risk of suicide attempt than boys (RORs: 2.34, 1.84 and 2.02, respectively; all P < 0.05).ConclusionsACEs and low social support are associated with increased risk of NSSI and suicidality in Chinese adolescents. Strategies to improve social support, particularly among female adolescents with a high number of ACEs, should be an integral component of targeted mental health interventions.Declaration of interestNone.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Sundström ◽  
Michael Rönnlund ◽  
Rolf Adolfsson ◽  
Lars-Göran Nilsson

ABSTRACTBackground:The impact of stressful life events as a risk factor of dementia diseases is inconclusive. We sought to determine whether stressful negative life events are associated with incidental dementia in a population-based study with long-term follow-up. We also tested the hypothesis that the occurrence of positive life events could mitigate or overcome the possible adverse effects of negative life events on dementia conversion.Methods:The study involved 2,462 dementia-free participants aged 55 years and older. Information on life events was ascertained at baseline from a comprehensive Life Event Inventory, which included 56 questions about specific life events. For each life event, the emotional impact (both positive and negative) and emotional adjustment were asked for.Results:During follow-up, 423 participants developed dementia; of these, 240 developed Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cox regression analysis showed no association between the total number of negative life events and the incidence of dementia when adjusted solely for age and gender (hazard ratio = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.92–1.02), or with multiple adjustments for a range of covariates (hazard ratio = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.91–1.01). Similarly, neither emotional impact nor emotional adjustment to these life events was associated with incident dementia. A separate analysis of AD did not alter the results.Conclusions:The result of this population-based study finds no association between negative or positive life events and dementia. Accordingly, our results reject the hypothesis that stressful life events trigger the onset of dementia diseases.


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