scholarly journals Keep on Keepin’ On: Investigating ACES and Positivity among Bereaved Black Middle Aged and Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 872-872
Author(s):  
Danielle McDuffie
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Black People ◽  
Black Adults ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Psychological Techniques ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Positive Outlook ◽  
Positive Focus

Abstract Many of the most damaging life events are more prevalent among Black older adults. Black people have been found to have higher amounts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which are linked to detrimental life impacts. Additionally, bereavement occurs at a higher rate among Black people and older adults. Despite these challenges, Black older adults have been repeatedly cited overcoming these challenges. Accordingly, the present study sought to investigate whether Black middle to older aged adults who encountered two of life’s most difficult challenges (i.e. bereavement and ACEs) would still maintain positivity. 103 middle to older Black adults (M=44.72, SD=5.48, 67% male) from a larger online grief study were probed about factors including time since loss, positive outlook, and ACES. A linear regression and mediation analysis were used to analyze the data. ACES were found to significantly predict positive outlook among bereaved middle to older Black adults (F=11.46, p=.001), such that as the number of ACES increased, so did positivity in spite of bereavement. Notably, this association was not mediated by time since loss. Results from this study provide evidence that even when faced with some of life’s most difficult events, Black middle to older adults were still able to reframe their situation with a positive focus. The ability for Black middle to older aged adults to reframe their tragedies into positivity could provide a basis for the use of Positive Psychological techniques specifically within this population. Additionally, this study provides further evidence that Black people exhibit exceeding resilience.

scholarly journals Adverse childhood experiences and domain-specific cognitive function in a population-based study of older adults in rural South Africa.

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 818-830
Author(s):  
Lindsay C. Kobayashi ◽  
Meagan T. Farrell ◽  
Collin F. Payne ◽  
Sumaya Mall ◽  
Livia Montana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Rural South ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Rural South Africa

scholarly journals Adverse Childhood Experiences Associated with Epigenetic Age and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 967-967
Author(s):  
Eric Klopack ◽  
Eileen Crimmins ◽  
Steve Cole ◽  
Teresa Seeman ◽  
Judith Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Physiological Mechanism ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Biological Aging ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood

Abstract Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase risk for depression in adolescents and older adults and have been linked to accelerated biological aging. We hypothesized that accelerated epigenetic aging may partially explain the link between ACEs and depression. This study examines second-generation epigenetic clocks (viz., GrimAge, PhenoAge, and DunedinPoAm38) as mediators of the link between ACEs and depressive symptoms in older adulthood. We utilize structural equation modeling to assess mediation in the Innovative Subsample of the Venous Blood Study from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 2672). Results indicate that experiencing more than 1 ACE is significantly associated with greater GrimAge and DunedinPoAm38, with limited evidence of increasing aging with increasing ACEs. GrimAge and DunedinPoAm38 were also significantly associated with more depressive symptoms. These associations were partially reduced by lifestyle factors. GrimAge explained between 9 and 13% of the association between ACEs and adult depressive symptoms, and DunedinPoAm38 explained between 2 and 7% of the association between ACEs and adult depressive symptoms. Findings indicate that accelerated aging, as measured by GrimAge and DunedinPoAm38, is strongly associated with ACEs in older Americans, that these clocks are highly associated with depressive symptoms in older Americans, and that these clocks mediate a proportion of the association between ACEs and adult depressive symptoms. Epigenetic clocks may represent a physiological mechanism underlying the link between early life adversity and adult depression. Lifestyle factors are a potential area for intervention.

scholarly journals Pediatrics adverse childhood experiences and related life events screener (PEARLS) and health in a safety-net practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 104685
Author(s):  
Neeta Thakur ◽  
Danielle Hessler ◽  
Kadiatou Koita ◽  
Morgan Ye ◽  
Mindy Benson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood

Are Adverse Childhood Experiences Associated with Worse Cognitive Function in Older Adults?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Amy B. Halpin ◽  
Rebecca K. MacAulay ◽  
Angelica R. Boeve ◽  
Lisa M. D’Errico ◽  
Sahvannah Michaud
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Executive Attention ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Intellectual Function ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Objectives: Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are associated with an increased risk for dementia, but this relationship and modifying factors are poorly understood. This study is the first to our knowledge to comprehensively examine the effect of ACE on specific cognitive functions and measures associated with greater risk and resiliency to cognitive decline in independent community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Verbal/nonverbal intelligence, verbal memory, visual memory, and executive attention were assessed. Self-report measures examined depression, self-efficacy, and subjective cognitive concerns (SCC). The ACE questionnaire measured childhood experiences of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Results: Over 56% of older adults reported an adverse childhood event. ACE scores were negatively associated with income and years of education and positively associated with depressive symptoms and SCC. ACE scores were a significant predictor of intellectual function and executive attention; however, these relationships were no longer significant after adjusting for education. Follow-up analyses using the PROCESS macro revealed that relationships among higher ACE scores with intellectual function and executive attention were mediated by education. Conclusions: Greater childhood adversity may increase vulnerability for cognitive impairment by impacting early education, socioeconomic status, and mental health. These findings have clinical implications for enhancing levels of cognitive reserve and addressing modifiable risk factors to prevent or attenuate cognitive decline in older adults.

Depressive psychopathology and adverse childhood experiences in eating disorders

2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 377-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Speranza ◽  
Frederic Atger ◽  
Maurice Corcos ◽  
Gwenolé Loas ◽  
Olivier Guilbaud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Diagnostic Specificity ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Early Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPurposeThe aim of this paper was to investigate the diagnostic specificity of the self-critical and dependent depressive experiences in a clinical sample of eating disorder patients and to explore the impact of adverse childhood experiences on these dimensions of personality.MethodA sample of 94 anorexic and 61 bulimic patients meeting DSM-IV criteria and 236 matched controls were assessed with the Depressive Experience Questionnaire (DEQ), the abridged version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the AMDP Life Events Inventory. Subjects presenting a major depression or a comorbid addictive disorder were excluded from the sample using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).ResultsAnorexic and bulimic patients showed higher scores than controls on both self-criticism and dependency sub-scales of the DEQ. Bulimic patients scored significantly higher than anorexic patients on self-criticism and reported more adverse childhood experiences. Finally, negative life events correlated only with self-criticism in the whole sample.DiscussionDifferences in the DEQ Self-Criticism between anorexics and bulimics could not be accounted for by depression since bulimic patients did not show higher BDI levels compared to anorexic patients and depressive symptoms measured with the BDI were not found to be significant predictors of diagnostic grouping in a logistic multiple regression.ConclusionThis study supports the diagnostic specificity of the dependent and self-critical depressive dimensions in eating disorders and strengthens previous research on the role of early experiences in the development of these disorders.

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