The effects of early life adversity on children’s mental health and cognitive functioning

Abstract

Emerging evidence suggests that partially distinct mechanisms may underlie the association between different dimensions of early life adversity (ELA) and psychopathology in children and adolescents. While there is minimal evidence that different types of ELA are associated with specific psychopathology outcomes, there are partially unique cognitive and socioemotional consequences of specific dimensions of ELA that increase transdiagnostic risk of mental health problems across the internalizing and externalizing spectra. The current review provides an overview of recent findings examining the cognitive (e.g., language, executive function), socioemotional (e.g., attention bias, emotion regulation), and mental health correlates of ELA along the dimensions of threat/harshness, deprivation, and unpredictability. We underscore similarities and differences in the mechanisms connecting different dimensions of ELA to particular mental health outcomes, and identify gaps and future directions that may help to clarify inconsistencies in the literature. This review focuses on childhood and adolescence, periods of exquisite neurobiological change and sensitivity to the environment. The utility of dimensional models of ELA in better understanding the mechanistic pathways towards the expression of psychopathology is discussed, with the review supporting the value of such models in better understanding the developmental sequelae associated with ELA. Integration of dimensional models of ELA with existing models focused on psychiatric classification and biobehavioral mechanisms may advance our understanding of the etiology, phenomenology, and treatment of mental health difficulties in children and youth.

The Use of Psychotropic Medication in Pediatric Oncology for Acute Psychological and Psychiatric Problems: Balancing Risks and Benefits

“…Growing evidence stresses the fact that (early) experiences are incorporated into the developing brain. When young children and adolescents are exposed to major adversity, maturing brain circuits can be harmed, and the risk for problems in learning, behavior, and mental health is significantly enhanced [ 109 , 110 ]. Therefore, policy and practice in our centers should focus more on protecting children and adolescents from the neurodevelopmental consequences of the adversities posed by their disease and its treatment.…”

Problemas externalizados, aptitudes intelectuales y coeficiente intelectual, en niños de dos a cinco años

“…Algunos estudios señalan que pueden existir ciertas condiciones ambientales que hacen más probable la aparición de estos trastornos (Wade et al 2022;Forslund et al, 2016;Black, 2022;Orri et al, 2022), entre las que se encuentran: padres ausentes, consumo de sustancias, mala relación familiar, maltrato, disciplina severa, depresión por parte de la madre, entre otros (Agudelo- Hernández et al 2021;Black, 2022;Sullivan et al, 2022). Además, existe respaldo científico entre la asociación entre factores prenatales y desarrollo de problemas externalizantes como lo son sobrepeso u obesidad materna, uso/ abuso de sustancias, exposición a tóxicos ambientales, infecciones maternas, ansiedad y depresión (Tien et al 2020).…”

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Resilience, and Emotional Problems in Young Chinese Children

“…The appearance of these emotional problems, as well as their frequent comorbidities, has been reported in young children [ 13 ]. Studies have suggested that ACEs are an important factor which can cause emotional problems [ 14 ]. Previous studies have revealed several potential explanations for the relationship between early ACEs and emotional problems in young children.…”