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Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with deleterious consequences throughout the lifespan of the individual, including an increased risk of mental disorders and the emergence of chronic diseases. However, an in-depth understanding of ACEs in diverse populations, how ACEs should be best measured, and the short-term (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic) and long-term impacts on the cognition and neurological and physiological development of individuals is still lacking. There are also growing number of studies assessing the economic burden of ACEs at the individual, caregiver and national levels, which need further attention from relevant stakeholders. In this Special Issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH), research addressing these topics is invited. We welcome new studies and review papers from different disciplines, including implementation science, epidemiology, psychology, health economic and intervention studies to address these topics.

Dr. Mythily Subramaniam
Dr. Edimansyah Abdin
Guest Editors

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Keywords

adverse childhood experiences

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

13 pages, 812 KiB

Open AccessArticle

ACEtimation—The Combined Effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Violence, Health-Harming Behaviors, and Mental Ill-Health: Findings across England and Wales

by Rebekah Lydia Miriam Amos, Katie Cresswell, Karen Hughes and Mark A. Bellis

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(17), 6633; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20176633 - 23 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1634

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) encompass various adversities, e.g., physical and/or emotional abuse. Understanding the effects of different ACE types on various health outcomes can guide targeted prevention and intervention. We estimated the association between three categories of ACEs in isolation and when they co-occurred. Specifically, the relationship between child maltreatment, witnessing violence, and household dysfunction and the risk of being involved in violence, engaging in health-harming behaviors, and experiencing mental ill-health. Data were from eight cross-sectional surveys conducted in England and Wales between 2012 and 2022. The sample included 21,716 adults aged 18–69 years; 56.6% were female. Exposure to child maltreatment and household dysfunction in isolation were strong predictors of variant outcomes, whereas witnessing violence was not. However, additive models showed that witnessing violence amplified the measured risk beyond expected levels for being a victim or perpetrator of violence. The multiplicative effect of all three ACE categories demonstrated the highest level of risk (RRs from 1.7 to 7.4). Given the increased risk associated with co-occurring ACEs, it is crucial to target individuals exposed to any ACE category to prevent their exposure to additional harm. Implementing universal interventions that safeguard children from physical, emotional, and sexual violence is likely to mitigate a range of subsequent issues, including future involvement in violence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adverse Childhood Experiences Impact on Health Outcomes)

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