Ho, Grace W.K. and Bressington, Daniel and Karatzias, Thanos and Chien, Wai Tong and Inoue, Sachiko and Yang, Pei J. and Chan, Athena C.Y. and Hyland, Philip (2020) Patterns of exposure to adverse childhood experiences and their associations with mental health: a survey of 1346 university students in East Asia. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 55. pp. 339-349. ISSN 0933-7954

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Abstract

Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) constitute a signifcant global mental health burden. Prior studies typically investigated the impact of ACEs on mental health using a cumulative risk approach; most ACEs studies were also conducted in Western settings. Purpose: This study aimed to examine ACEs using a pattern-based approach and assess their associations with mental health outcomes by early adulthood in East Asia. Methods: The present study included measures of exposure to 13 categories of ACEs, depression, anxiety, maladjustment, and posttraumatic stress in a sample of 1346 university students from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and Japan. Results: Latent class analysis indicated three distinct patterns of ACE exposure: Class 1: Low ACEs (76.0%); Class 2: Household Violence (20.6%); and Class 3: Household Dysfunction (3.4%). Those representing Class 3 had signifcantly more ACEs compared with those in Classes 1 or 2. Controlling for age and sex, those in Class 2 reported signifcantly higher depression and maladjustment symptoms compared with those in Class 1; both Classes 2 and 3 had signifcantly higher anxiety symptoms and odds for meeting diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorders compared with those in Class 1. Conclusions: Study fndings suggest that young adults’ mental health, at least under certain contexts, is more closely linked with the nature and pattern of ACE co-occurrence, rather than the number of ACEs.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Cite as: Ho, G.W.K., Bressington, D., Karatzias, T. et al. Patterns of exposure to adverse childhood experiences and their associations with mental health: a survey of 1346 university students in East Asia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 55, 339–349 (2020). https://doi-org.jproxy.nuim.ie/10.1007/s00127-019-01768-w
Keywords:	Adverse childhood experiences; East Asia; Latent class analysis; Mental health; Young adults;
Academic Unit:	Assisting Living & Learning,ALL institute Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
Item ID:	15180
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-019-01768-w
Depositing User:	Philip Hyland
Date Deposited:	05 Jan 2022 17:24
Journal or Publication Title:	Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Publisher:	Springer
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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