scholarly journals Negative childhood experiences and mental health: theoretical, clinical and primary prevention implications

2012 ◽  
Vol 200 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Read ◽  
Richard P. Bentall
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Prevention ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Adverse Childhood Events ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Model ◽  
Adverse Childhood

SummaryAfter decades of ignoring or minimising the prevalence and effects of negative events in childhood, researchers have recently established that a broad range of adverse childhood events are significant risk factors for most mental health problems, including psychosis. Researchers are now investigating the biological and psychological mechanisms involved. In addition to the development of a traumagenic neurodevelopmental model for psychosis, the exploration of a range of psychological processes, including attachment and dissociation, is shedding light on the specific aetiologies of discrete phenomena such as hallucinations and delusions. It is argued that the theoretical, clinical and primary prevention implications of our belated focus on childhood are profound.

scholarly journals The Clustering of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children: Are Gender and Poverty Important?

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052093509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca E. Lacey ◽  
Laura D. Howe ◽  
Michelle Kelly-Irving ◽  
Mel Bartley ◽  
Yvonne Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Parental Mental Health ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Close Family Member ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study ◽  
Close Family

Previous research has demonstrated a graded relationship between the number of Adverse Childhood Experiences reported (an ACE score) and child outcomes. However, ACE scores lack specificity and ignore the patterning of adversities, which are informative for interventions. The aim of the present study was to explore the clustering of ACEs and whether this clustering differs by gender or is predicted by poverty. Data on 8,572 participants of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were used. ALSPAC is a regionally representative prenatal cohort of children born between 1991 and 1992 in the Avon region of South-West England. ACEs included parental divorce, death of a close family member, interparental violence, parental mental health problems, parental alcohol misuse, parental drug use, parental convictions, and sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, between birth and 19 years. Latent class analysis was used to derive ACE clusters and associations between poverty, gender, and the derived classes tested using multinomial logistic regression. Five latent classes were identified: “Low ACEs” (55%), “Parental separation and mother’s mental health problems” (18%), “Parental mental health problems, convictions and separation” (15%), “Abuse and mental health problems” (6%), and “Poly adversity” (6%). Death of a close family member and sexual abuse did not cluster with other adversities. The clustering did not differ by gender. Poverty was strongly related to both individual ACEs and clusters. These findings demonstrate that ACEs cluster in specific patterns and that poverty is strongly related to this. Therefore, reducing child poverty might be one strategy for reducing ACEs.

Poverty hits children first?

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (02) ◽  
pp. 67-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Fegert ◽  
D. Harsch ◽  
M. Kölch
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Children First

SummaryPoverty is a risk factor for mental health problems during childhood and adolescence in general. The economic crisis (2007–2013) seemed to have intensified poverty in families within the most affected countries, esp. in the southern countries of Europe. Within a selective literature review, existing data on the risk of poverty, mental disorders in parents and further risk factors on mental health of children are analyzed. Direct effects like limited access to mental health care system may exist, but are not proved in general. From a developmental perspective, effects of the crisis seem more indirectly mediated by well-known risk factors for psychiatric disorders of children and adolescents: substance abuse in families, mental disorders of parents and loss of perspectives within families are risk factors both on mental health of a child but also for a low educational level which would be a resilience factor. There is evidence that an increase of child abuse and neglect (adverse childhood experiences, ACE) was linked to the economic crisis. Long-term effects e.g. due to ACE may be observed in later times, when children are grown-up.

Association between maternal adverse childhood experiences and mental health problems in offspring: An intergenerational study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satomi Doi ◽  
Takeo Fujiwara ◽  
Aya Isumi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Behavior Problems ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Social Economic Status ◽  
Adolescent Offspring ◽  
Adverse Childhood

Abstract The aim of this study is to examine the association between maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health problems in adolescent offspring. Data were obtained from the population-based Kochi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty (K-CHILD) study in 2016, and participants were 10,810 children in the fifth grade (3,144 pairs), eighth grade (3,497 pairs), and eleventh grade (4,169 pairs) living in Kochi Prefecture, Japan. Mothers of participating children were asked about their ACEs, childhood social economic status, current mental and physical health, current social economic status, positive parenting behaviors, child maltreatment, marital status, and child behavior problems using the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire. Children reported their depressive symptoms using the Depression Self-Rating Scale. Children of mothers with a larger number of ACEs showed higher levels of behavior problems (p for trend <.001) and depressive symptoms (p for trend <.001), adjusting for potential confounders. In particular, maternal psychological distress mediated the association between maternal ACEs and child mental health. The adverse effects of maternal ACEs may have a direct intergenerational impact on behavior problems and depressive symptoms in adolescent offspring. Further studies to elucidate possible mediators are needed.

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