The association between adverse childhood experiences and depression symptoms in older adults in China: An analysis of the China health and retirement study

Abstract

We used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) to examine the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on depression symptoms in Chinese adults aged 60 years or over. A dearth of studies has examined this issue in the Chinese context, which is different from Western contexts owing to China’s post-revolutionary experiences (e.g., famine, Cultural Revolution). CHARLS contained historical information about 14 ACEs, current information about depression symptoms, and a series of individual-level covariates (e.g., age, sex), and community-level covariates, such as population density and aggregate income. In an analysis sample of 1218 participants, three of the 14 ACEs (bullied, felt alone, relationship with mother) were positively associated with depression symptoms (p < 0.05). Our findings closely resembled results from studies undertaken in Western samples. Educational and mental health interventions during childhood might reduce the impact of late-life depression symptoms in Chinese adults.