Safe, Stable, and Nurtured: Protective Factors against Poor Physical and Mental Health Outcomes Following Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Abstract

Protective factors can build resilience and potentially moderate the long-term impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). To better understand the role of protective factors, this study examines the relationship of two protective factors focused on safe, stable and nurturing relationships, ACEs, and self-reported mental and physical health outcomes among a representative adult sample from the South Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Protective factors were assessed as potential moderators of ACEs and poor self-reported physical and mental health in multivariate logistic regression analyses. Respondents exposed to four or more ACEs who grew up with an adult who made them feel safe and protected were less likely to report frequent mental distress or poor health. The use of protective factors may be an effective prevention strategy for ACEs and its associated outcomes and may serve as a mechanism to Bbreak the cycle^of childhood trauma.

The frequencies and disparities of adverse childhood experiences in the U.S.

“…This would be particularly helpful in a targeted campaign for specific demographic groups to help prevent ACEs. Nevertheless, while the prevention of ACEs is a complicated and difficult public health initiative, there is evidence to suggest that resilience and intervention programming for children aged 6 to 17 can help attenuate the deleterious effect of ACEs among children already experiencing adversity, [45] while protective factors (e.g., an adult who made a child feel safe and protected) have been shown to mitigate the effects of ACEs [46]. These programs would benefit from understanding ACEs from a population-based perspective, thus tailoring programs to those in high risk categories.…”

Effects of positive and negative childhood experiences on adult family health

“…Children that experience more emotional support from family or social networks may have better long-term mental health outcomes and less chronic health issues as they age, which are important family health resources [ 39 ]. Furthermore, individuals with high PCEs tend to have more self-confidence which provides a foundation for healthy relationships in adulthood [ 8 , 40 ] and serves to buffer against mental health issues [ 19 , 20 , 25 , 41 ]. All of these effects are resources that adults can draw upon to foster healthy routines, affection, respect, communication, trust, and support in their families and also engender healthy social support networks that the family can draw on when additional help is needed.…”

Is the psychological impact of exposure to COVID-19 stronger in adolescents with pre-pandemic maltreatment experiences? A survey of rural Chinese adolescents

“…One explanation for this predictive power of ACEs is the ‘kindling’ hypothesis, ACEs increase vulnerability to future life stresses and lower the threshold required to trigger depressive or anxious episodes ( Monroe & Harkness, 2005 ; Shapero et al, 2017 ; Zuroff, Santor, & Mongrain, 2004 ), thus leading to a downward spiral in mental health problems ( Crouch, Radcliff, Strompolis, & Srivastav, 2019 ; McLaughlin, Conron, Koenen, & Gilman, 2010 ; Walsh et al, 2019 ). Here we argue that we should look at the content of ACEs, in our study abuse and neglect being important predictors as well as moderators of the associations between exposure to COVID-19 and PTSS and anxiety symptoms.…”