Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences Research Articles

Interventions Addressing Black/African American Adults Affected by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): A Scoping Review

Objective: The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview of the literature on interventions to mitigate the negative impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among Black/ African American adults. The specific objectives were to qualitatively examine, compare, and contrast the literature; to provide a narrative summary of each intervention identified in the search; and to identify gaps in the literature.Introduction: ACEs have been identified as a significant public health problem due to their destructive nature on a person's subsequent adult life course. Among the three largest racial/ethnic groups in the United States (White/Caucasian, Black/African American, and Hispanic American), the Black/African American community suffers the highest incidence of ACEs. However, there is a paucity of research examining interventions specifically for Black/African American adults suffering from the negative impacts of ACEs.Inclusion criteria: This study only included published material from the United States within the past ten years. Studies included must have had at least 25% of participants identified as Black/African American adults. The study had to entail an intervention directly applied with the identified population targeting an ACE-related outcome.Methods: The literature search was conducted between December 2022 and January 2023 using the Social Work Abstracts, PsychInfo, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), and the Social Services Abstracts. Data were extracted on author(s) name, year of publication, the type of intervention, the sample demographics (i.e. age, race, and location), the purpose of the study, the reported outcomes, and the results. Results were summarized in tabular and narrative forms.Results: The search identified 1,146 relevant studies according to the search criteria. Of these, 784 were screened as meeting all or some of the inclusion criteria. The final assessment left 6 studies as fully meeting all the inclusion criteria. Overall, the analysis found that psychosocial and psychoeducation-based interventions positively affected the reduction of ACE-related symptoms. Nevertheless, it is difficult to develop intervention themes as there is tremendous variation in the intervention designs, execution, location, and methods. Additionally, only two of the studies were randomized control trials (RCTs), thus limiting overall methodological rigor.Conclusions: This study highlights the limited evidence of interventions specifically addressing this population. The evidence suggests a positive impact of the interventions on the ACE symptoms identified. However, the rigor of the few existing studies is limited. The Black/African American community will benefit from the development of RCTs on culturally appropriate interventions to combat the damaging effects of adverse childhood experiences.

Unintended consequences of disseminating behavioral health evidence to policymakers: Results from a survey-based experiment.

Communication research demonstrates that messages often have unintended consequences, but this work has received limited attention in implementation science. This dissemination experiment sought to determine whether state-tailored policy briefs about the behavioral health consequences of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), compared to national policy briefs on the topic, increased state legislators'/staffers' perceptions of the policy brief relevance and parental blame for the consequences of ACEs, and whether effects differed between Democrats and Republicans. A preregistered, web-based survey experiment with U.S. state legislators/staffers was conducted in 2021 (n = 133). Respondents were randomized to view a policy brief about the behavioral health consequences of ACEs that included state-tailored data (intervention condition) or national data (control condition) and then answered survey questions. Dependent variables were perceived policy brief relevance and parental blame for the consequences of ACEs. The mean policy brief relevance score was 4.1% higher in the intervention than in the control condition (p = .24), but the mean parental blame score was 16.5% higher (p = .02). When outcomes were dichotomized, 61.2% of respondents in the intervention condition rated parents as "very much to blame" for the consequences of ACEs compared to 37.1% in the control condition (p = .01). When the sample was stratified by political affiliation, the effect of the state-tailored policy brief on parental blame was larger in magnitude among Democrats and not significant among Republicans. The intervention policy brief increased the mean parental blame score by 22.8% among Democrats relative to the control policy brief (p = .007) and doubled the proportion rating parents as "very much to blame" (52.2% vs. 26.1%, p = .03). Despite limited statistical power, state-tailored policy briefs significantly increased state legislators'/staffers' perceptions of parental blame for the behavioral health consequences of ACEs, relative to a policy brief with national data. Unintended messaging effects warrant greater attention in dissemination research and practice.

The Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Adults' Subjective Wellbeing

The Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Adults' Subjective Wellbeing

The effect of adverse childhood experiences on theory of mind brain networks: association with clinical and behavioural outcomes in schizophrenia

The effect of adverse childhood experiences on theory of mind brain networks: association with clinical and behavioural outcomes in schizophrenia

만 5세의 가정 내 부정적 아동기 경험(ACE)이 초등학교 1학년, 4학년 아동의 학교적응과 사회정서발달에 미치는 영향

이 연구는 만 5세에 겪는 가정 내 부정적 아동기 경험(ACE)이 초등학교 1학년과 4학년의 학교적응과 사회정서발달에 미치는 종단적 영향을 파악하기 위해 수행되었다. 이를 위해 한국아동패널의 데이터를 사용하였으며, 연구의 주요 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 아동이 만 5세에 경험한 부정적 아동기 경험 중 어머니의 이혼경험, 아버지의 흡연 여부, 아버지의 우울은 초등 1학년 자녀의 학교적응, 학업능력과 자녀의 행동문제에 부정적인 영향을 미쳤다. 더불어 만 5세 당시 어머니의 과음 횟수와 어머니의 우울은 초등 1학년 자녀의 학교적응과 행동문제에 가장 강력한 부정적인 영향을 미치는 변수였다. 둘째, 만 5세에 경험한 어머니의 이혼경험과 아버지의 흡연 여부는 4학년 자녀의 학교적응과 행복감, 학업능력에 부정적인 영향을 미쳤고, 만 5세 당시 어머니의 과음 횟수와 아버지의 우울은 4학년 자녀의 학교적응과 학업능력에 부정적인 영향을 미쳤다. 이 연구는 초등학교 저학년 시기 어머니 양육의 중요성과 초등학교 고학년 자녀에게 미치는 아버지 우울의 종단적 영향을 밝혔다는 의의가 있다.

Understanding the effects of adverse childhood experiences on older people.

There is increasing recognition that adverse childhood experiences are linked to suboptimal mental and physical health in later life. Despite this, there has been little research into the effects of adverse childhood experiences on older people. This article gives an overview of the long-term mental and physical effects of adverse childhood experiences and discusses how childhood trauma may manifest in older people. The author also discusses how nurses and unpaid family carers may themselves have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences and how this may affect their caring role. It is crucial that nurses adopt a trauma-informed approach to the care of older people to take account of possible adverse childhood experiences and prevent re-traumatisation.

The Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Early Maladaptive Schemas on Relationship Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder

The Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Early Maladaptive Schemas on Relationship Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder

Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Substance Misuse among Justice-Involved Children

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to substance use (SU) and substance use disorders (SUD). However, this relationship has yet to be tested among justice-involved children (JIC), and it is unclear if racial/ethnic differences exist. This study aimed to determine: (1) whether ACEs are associated with increased risk of SU and SUD among JIC; and (2) if the effects of ACEs on SU and SUD are moderated by race/ethnicity. Methods: Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to examine a statewide dataset of 79,960 JIC from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Marginal odds were estimated to examine how race moderates the relationship between ACEs and SU and SUD. Results: Results showed higher ACEs scores were linked to SU and SUD. Black JIC were 2.46 times more likely, and Latinx JIC were 1.40 times more likely to report SU than white JIC. Specifically, Black and Latinx JIC with a higher average ACEs score were more likely to report SU but less likely to have ever been diagnosed with a SUD when compared to white JIC with equivalent ACEs. Conclusions: Study results highlight the need to develop trauma-informed and culturally appropriate interventions for SU and SUD among JIC.

Potential effects of adverse childhood experiences on school engagement in youth: a dominance analysis

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have severe negative impacts on childhood and adult health via worsened school engagement and educational outcomes. This study seeks to identify the relative importance of various ACEs in predicting school engagement.MethodsWe analyzed data from the National Survey of Children’s Health for school-aged children (ages 6-17) for 2018 and 2019. The primary outcome was school engagement, measured through three variables: repeating a grade, doing required homework, and caring about doing well in school. We conducted three logistic regression models with dominance analyses to identify the relative importance of ACE variables in predicting school engagement outcomes.ResultsIn unadjusted and adjusted dominance analyses, parental incarceration was the most important ACE in predicting repeating a grade. Living in a household in which it was hard to cover basics like food or housing was the most important ACE in predicting doing required homework and caring about doing well in school.DiscussionOur study points toward the large influence of out-of-school factors on school engagement. Parental incarceration and economic hardship, the most important predictors of engagement, are issues that can be addressed and mitigated through policy interventions. With limited funds available for education and public health interventions, it is crucial that these two ACEs be priority considerations when developing policy. A multi-faceted approach that reduces the incarcerated population, encourages economic well-being, and emphasizes early-childhood education has the potential to significantly improve school engagement in vulnerable populations and ultimately advance social equity.

Adverse childhood experiences, psychological well-being, and substance use in Pakistani university students

Adverse childhood experiences are associated with risky health behaviors and adverse health outcomes worldwide, including substance use; yet, relatively fewer studies have examined linkages between adverse childhood experiences and health behaviors and outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, including countries in sub-Saharan Africa and large portions of Asia. Furthermore, fewer studies of adverse childhood experiences have examined the pathways or processes connecting adverse childhood experiences to health behaviors and outcomes. This study addressed these gaps by investigating three competing models of associations between adverse childhood experiences, psychological well-being, and substance use in 595 Pakistani University students (40.5% female; Meanage = 21.96, Standard deviation = 2.37) using path analysis. Controlling for the effects of age, sex, and socioeconomic status, adverse childhood experiences were associated with both diminished psychological well-being and higher levels of substance use. However, psychological well-being and substance use were unrelated and neither accounted for indirect effects of adverse childhood experiences on adjustment. Suggestions for furthering research on adverse childhood experiences, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, are discussed.

The Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Mental Illness, and Personality Differences on Attitudes Toward Self-Efficacy Among Females on Parole/Probation.

Female offenders released from prison often face challenges within the community such as lack of employment, inconsistent attendance in substance use treatment, and complying with parole and probation conditions, which typically decreases their self-efficacy and motivation to refrain from reoffending. Despite this, much is still unknown of psychological factors that could impact female offenders' attitudes toward self-efficacy, such as mental illness symptoms, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and personality differences. Thus, this cross-sectional study explored whether mental illness symptoms, ACEs, and personality differences were associated with attitudes toward self-efficacy (N = 398). Results suggest that mental illness symptoms, ACEs, and neuroticism negatively associated with attitudes toward self-efficacy in contrast to extraversion and conscientiousness. Parole/probation reentry and therapeutic implications are discussed.

Raising the bar for measuring childhood adversity

Awareness about the harmful effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has increased in the past decade among paediatric providers and researchers. Hundreds of observational studies have documented the prevalence and consequences of childhood adversity,1 showing that childhood adversity can at least double the risk of later disease in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and explain up to 40% of morbidity and premature mortality across the lifecourse.1 Screening young people for ACEs and intervening could be key to buffering the effects of these experiences and reducing future morbidities.

Recommendations for Population-Based Applications of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study: Position Statement by the American College of Preventive Medicine

Childhood adversity profoundly influences health, well-being, and longevity. Prevention and interventions to mitigate its harmful effects are essential. The American College of Preventive Medicine reviewed the research literature and other professional and governmental statements about adverse childhood experiences to support the development of evidence-based and population-focused recommendations about prevention, screening, and mitigation interventions for childhood adversity. We performed an umbrella review to find, assess and synthesize the evidence from systematic reviews focused on 3 key questions: the prevention or mitigation of the effects of adverse childhood experiences; the association of screening for adverse childhood experiences with various benefits, including health outcomes; and the effectiveness and harms of interventions in individuals with elevated adverse childhood experience scores. Adverse childhood experience‒related recommendations from 6 professional and governmental organizations were also reviewed. On the basis of these reviews, the American College of Preventive Medicine developed a position statement through consensus. A total of 8 systematic reviews, including 260 studies in total, were identified and combined with adverse childhood experiences‒related recommendations from 6 professional organizations to support the American College of Preventive Medicine recommendations. The American College of Preventive Medicine offers 7 adverse childhood experiences‒related recommendations focused on screening, education/training, policy/practice, and research: 2 are evidence-based, and 5 are based on expert opinion. Notably, regarding secondary prevention of adverse childhood experiences, the American College of Preventive Medicine endorses population-level surveillance and research around childhood adversity but not adverse childhood experience screening in individual clinical encounters. Despite limitations in the heterogeneity and quality of the published systematic reviews, the extant literature supports the American College of Preventive Medicine recommendations. Interventions to enhance protective factors and prevent and mitigate the consequences of adverse childhood experiences and other childhood adversity are promising and require further implementation and research.

Using phenome-wide association studies and the SF-12 quality of life metric to identify profound consequences of adverse childhood experiences on adult mental and physical health in a Northern Nevadan population.

In this research, we examine and identify the implications of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on a range of health outcomes, with particular focus on a number of mental health disorders. Many previous studies observed that traumatic childhood events are linked to long-term adult diseases using the standard Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire. The study cohort was derived from the Healthy Nevada Project, a volunteer-based population health study in which each adult participant is invited to take a retrospective questionnaire that includes the Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire, the 12-item Short Form Survey measuring quality of life, and self-reported incidence of nine mental disorders. Using participant’s cross-referenced electronic health records, a phenome-wide association analysis of 1,703 phenotypes and the incidence of ACEs examined links between traumatic events in childhood and adult disease. These analyses showed that many mental disorders were significantly associated with ACEs in a dose-response manner. Similarly, a dose response between ACEs and obesity, chronic pain, migraine, and other physical phenotypes was identified. An examination of the prevalence of self-reported mental disorders and incidence of ACEs showed a positive relationship. Furthermore, participants with less adverse childhood events experienced a higher quality of life, both physically and mentally. The whole-phenotype approach confirms that ACEs are linked with many negative adult physical and mental health outcomes. With the nationwide prevalence of ACEs as high as 67%, these findings suggest a need for new public health resources: ACE-specific interventions and early childhood screenings.

Association between adverse childhood experiences and later-life cardiovascular diseases among middle-aged and older Chinese adults: The mediation effect of depressive symptoms

BackgroundTo date, few studies have focused on examining either the direct or indirect effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study aimed to investigate the mediation effect of depressive symptoms as a mediator between ACEs and CVD. MethodsThis study included a total of 12,981 participants from the 2011 to 2018 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Depressive symptoms were examined using the 10-item short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). The mediation effect analysis adjusted for potential confounding factors was conducted. Results6635 (51.11 %) of the participants reported 4 and more ACEs count. Participants with certain ACEs were significantly associated with later-life incident depressive symptoms and CVD. Depressive symptoms partially mediated [20.72 %, 95 % CI: (13.02 %–38.12 %)] of the association between self-reported health status and CVD, [0.72 %, 95 % CI: (13.02 %–38.12 %)] of the association between health limitation and CVD, and [22.24 %, 95 % CI: (14.35 %–59.29 %)] of the association between hunger and CVD. In addition, as ACEs count increased by 1 unit, participants had the increased risk of incident depressive symptoms [5.01 %, 95 % CI: (4.53 %–5.50 %)] and CVD [0.61 %, 95 % CI: (0.23 %–0.99 %)]. LimitationsNot all potential confounding factors were measured and adjusted in the analysis, and ACEs were collected retrospectively. ConclusionsACEs are significantly associated with both onset and increased depressive symptoms and CVD, and depressive symptoms mediated the association between ACEs and incident CVD. Our results suggested that target mental health intervention programs should be delivered to ACEs populations.

Maternal adverse childhood experiences and infant subcortical brain volume

BackgroundA large body of research supports the deleterious effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on disease susceptibility and health for both the exposed individual and the next generation. It is likely that there is an intergenerational transmission of risk from mother to child; however, the mechanisms through which such risk is conferred remain unknown. The current study evaluated the association between maternal ACEs, neonatal brain development of the amygdala and hippocampus, and later infant negative emotionality at six months of age. MethodsThe sample included 85 mother-infant dyads (44 female infants) from a longitudinal study. Maternal ACEs were assessed with the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q) and neonatal hippocampal and amygdala volume was assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Infant negative emotionality was assessed at 6 months using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ). ResultsMultivariate analyses demonstrated that maternal ACEs were associated with bilateral amygdala volume (F(2,78) = 3.697,p = .029). Specifically, higher maternal ACEs were associated with smaller left (β = -0.220, t(79) = -2.661, p = .009, R2= 0.494, and right (β = −0.167, t(79) = -2.043, p = .044, R2= 0.501) amygdala volume. No significant association between maternal ACEs and bilateral hippocampal volume (F(2,78) = 0.215,p = .0807) was found. Follow-up regression analyses demonstrated that both high maternal ACEs and smaller left amygdala volume were associated with higher infant negative emotionality at six months of age (β = .232, p = .040, R2= 0.094, and β = −0.337, p = .022, R2= 0.16, respectively) although statistically significant mediation of this effect was not observed (Indirect effect = 0.0187, 95% CI [-0.0016-0.0557]). ConclusionsMaternal ACEs are associated with both newborn amygdala volume and subsequent infant negative emotionality. These findings linking maternal adverse childhood experiences and infant brain development and temperament provide evidence to support the intergenerational transmission of adversity from mother to child.

Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on smoking, drinking, physical illnesses, and suicide attempt in Japanese population

Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on smoking, drinking, physical illnesses, and suicide attempt in Japanese population

Exploring the interpersonal consequences of adverse childhood experiences in college students

The Interpersonal Process Model of Intimacy characterizes intimacy as dyadic interpersonal interactions in which vulnerable behaviors are displayed and reinforced by suitable listeners. We posited that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) would foster avoidance of vulnerable speaker behaviors in dyadic exchanges, as seen in self-concealment, and that lower levels of ACEs would be associated with more self-disclosure. Correspondingly, we examined whether self-concealment and self-disclosure simultaneously mediated the relationship between ACEs and relationship closeness in college students. Results revealed that ACEs were significantly associated with more self-concealment only. After removing self-disclosure from the model, self-concealment mediated the relationship between ACEs and relationship closeness. Self-concealment mediated the relationship between ACEs and fear of intimacy. Together, the present investigation adds to existing literature by pointing to the interpersonal consequences of ACEs and a potential mechanism maintaining this relationship, and the potential for therapies targeting inflexible responding patterns to enhance functional intimacy-related repertoires.

The Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Warfare Exposure on Military Sexual Trauma Among Veterans.

Military sexual trauma (MST) is a pervasive problem; this study examined the relationship of the precursory traumas of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and warfare exposure with MST. Post-9/11 veterans were surveyed at 3 months and at 24 to 30 months post-military separation. Female veterans who experienced at least 1 ACE but no warfare exposure were significantly more likely to receive unwanted sexual attention. Veterans (males and females) experiencing three or more ACEs but no warfare exposure were significantly more likely to receive unwanted sexual attention and contact. Experiencing only warfare exposure was not related to unwanted sexual attention or contact for females; however, a significant interaction was found between combined warfare exposure, ACEs, and MST for males and females. Veterans who reported warfare exposure and one to two or three or more ACEs were more likely to report unwanted sexual attention and/or contact. Exploration of individual ACEs revealed a significant relationship between childhood sexual abuse and unwanted sexual contact. For females, witnessing domestic violence predicted unwanted sexual contact. There was also a significant interaction between childhood sexual abuse and warfare exposure. Females who experienced both childhood sexual abuse and warfare exposure were significantly more likely to receive unwanted sexual attention and unwanted sexual contact. Albeit a small sample, males who experienced both were also significantly more likely to receive unwanted sexual attention. The findings reveal that precursory traumatic experiences in childhood and the interaction of ACEs and warfare exposure during military service can increase the likelihood of unwanted sexual attention and contact. This research further substantiates the need for screening efforts. It also demonstrates the importance of practitioners engaging in trauma-informed care principles and practices to address the residual effects of previous experiences during sexual trauma or mental health treatment efforts.

Examining the Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Gender on Trauma-Informed Intervention Outcomes.

The prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their link to negative behavioral and health outcomes is well documented, but very few studies have empirically examined the effect of ACEs on intervention outcomes. There is also emerging evidence of gender differences in vulnerability to developing traumatic symptoms, which relates to intervention outcomes. The current study examined the effects of ACEs and gender on trauma-informed intervention outcomes in a community-based clinical setting. The study includes data from children who were treated with trauma-informed intervention services grounded in the Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) framework from 2017 to 2019. ACE scores are measured as a total across 10 items and different types, maltreatment versus family dysfunction, at intake. Children's trauma-related symptoms are assessed at intake and every 90 days under the ARC framework. In order to examine the changes of traumatic symptoms over time, a total of 362 children with three time points are included for the current analyses using Multilevel modeling with SAS PROC MIXED. The study found that a trauma-informed intervention based on the ARC framework was effective in reducing children's trauma related symptoms until they experienced 6 or more ACEs. The intervention effect, however, did not hold when children's ACEs were cumulated to 7 or more. The study also revealed gender differences in intervention outcomes. The finding has significant implications for early detection and preventative intervention efforts with children's ACEs before their ACEs further cumulate to a higher number. Gender difference should be considered in intervention planning and monitored during the intervention process.