Relationship between adverse childhood experiences and unemployment among adults from five US states - preview

Purpose

Our study assesses the relationships between self-reported adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (including sexual, physical, or verbal abuse, along with household dysfunction including parental separation or divorce, domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse, or incarcerated household member) and unemployment status in five US states in 2009....

Results

About two-third of respondents reported having had at least one ACEs, while 15.1 % of men and 19.3 % of women reported having had ≥4 ACEs. Among both men and women, the unemployment rate in 2009 was significantly higher among those who reported having had any ACE than among those who reported no ACEs (p < 0.05). Educational attainment, marital status, and social support mediated the relationship between ACEs and unemployment, particularly among women.

Conclusions

ACEs appear to be associated with increased risk for unemployment among men and women. Further studies may be needed to better understand how education, marital status, and social support mediate the association between multiple ACEs and unemployment."