Adverse childhood experiences and child mental health: an electronic birth cohort study

Abstract

Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are negatively associated with a range of child health outcomes. In this study, we explored associations between five individual ACEs and child mental health diagnoses or symptoms. ACEs included living with someone who had an alcohol-related problem, common mental health disorder or serious mental illness, or experienced victimisation or death of a household member. Methods We analysed data from a population-level electronic cohort of children in Wales, UK, (N = 191,035) between the years of 1998 and 2012. We used Cox regression with discrete time-varying exposure variables to model time to child mental health diagnosis during the first 15 years of life. Child mental health diagnoses include five categories: (i) externalising symptoms (anti-social behaviour), (ii) internalising symptoms (stress, anxiety, depression), (iii) developmental delay (e.g. learning disability), (iv) other (e.g. eating disorder, personality disorders), and (v) any mental health diagnosis, which was created by combining externalising symptoms, internalising symptoms and other. Our analyses were adjusted for social deprivation and perinatal risk factors. Results There were strong univariable associations between the five individual ACEs, sociodemographic and perinatal factors (e.g. gestational weight at birth) and an increased risk of child mental health diagnoses. After adjusting for sociodemographic and perinatal aspects, there was a remaining conditional increased risk of any child mental health diagnosis, associated with victimisation (conditional hazard ratio (cHR) 1.90, CI 95% 1.34–2.69), and living with an adult with a common mental health diagnosis (cHR 1.63, CI 95% 1.52–1.75). Coefficients of product terms between ACEs and deprivation were not statistically significant. Conclusion The increased risk of child mental health diagnosis associated with victimisation, or exposure to common mental health diagnoses, and alcohol problems in the household supports the need for policy measures and intervention strategies for children and their families.

Prevalence and factors associated with adverse early childhood experiences: a population-based study in Ceará, Brazil

“…In the present study, about half of the children were exposed to a considerable number of ACEs (3 or more), with increased prevalence proportional to increased age (children over two years old). In agreement, other studies that followed children also observed a rise in ACEs concomitant to the aging of children 21 , resulting in older children resorting to more coping strategies with ACEs 22 .…”

Anxiety and Depression in Pediatric Patients with Celiac Disease: A Large Cross-Sectional Study

“…Prior studies have also found children with chronic illness may not experience difficulties with their life satisfaction and happiness (14) . Childhood adversity also has an impact on their mental health ( 15,16 ). Our current sample includes many families from higher-income families who may already have increased support for identified adversities like comorbid medical conditions.…”

Child abuse and neglect and associated mental health outcomes: a large, population-based survey among children and adolescents from Jamaica and Uganda

“…Different forms of CAN have been widely documented as significant predictors of internalizing (such as depression and anxiety) and externalizing (such as antisocial and aggressive behavior, risky sexual behavior) problems in adulthood (Boduszek et al , 2012; Debowska and Boduszek, 2017; Filkin et al , 2022; Gardner et al , 2019; Hildyard and Wolfe, 2002; Norman et al , 2012). However, while numerous studies show the detrimental effects of CAN on mental health in adulthood, far fewer studies examine these effects in childhood and adolescence (Elmore and Crouch, 2020; Lowthian et al , 2021; Priebe and Svedin, 2008; Sharratt et al , 2023). Studies conducted to date demonstrate that child maltreatment has an adverse effect on youths’ internalizing and externalizing symptoms and disorders (Bolger and Patterson, 2001; English et al , 2005; Kukoyi et al , 2010; Li and Godinet, 2014; Oshri et al , 2011; Thornton et al , 2023).…”