[Editor's note: Dr. Harise Stein at Stanford University edits a web site -- abuseresearch.info -- that focuses on the health effects of abuse, and includes research articles on ACEs. Every month, she's posting the summaries of the abstracts and links to research articles that address only ACEs. Thank you, Harise!! -- Jane Stevens]
Bellis MA, Hughes K, Ford K, et. al.
Adverse childhood experiences and sources of childhood resilience: a retrospective study of their combined relationships with child health and educational attendance. BMC Public Health. 2018 Jun 26;18(1):792. PMID: 29940920
In this national Welsh adult survey, a history of ACEs was associated with school absenteeism and poorer childhood health, including asthma, allergies, headaches, and digestive disorders. Resilience factors (being treated fairly, supportive childhood friends, being given opportunities to use abilities, access to a trusted adult, and having someone to look up to) were independently linked to better outcomes, reducing poor childhood health in those with 4 or more ACEs from 59.8% to 21.3%.
Cleare S, Wetherall K, Clark A, et. al.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Hospital-Treated Self-Harm. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Jun 11;15(6). pii: E1235. PMID: 29891825
Using data from two hospitals in Glasgow, comparing patients admitted with first time or with repeat self-harm, and after controlling for psychosocial variables, those with an ACE score of 4 or more were 2.4 times more likely to be in the repeat group.
Westermair AL, Stoll AM, Greggersen W, et. al.
All Unhappy Childhoods Are Unhappy in Their Own Way-Differential Impact of Dimensions of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Adult Mental Health and Health Behavior. Front Psychiatry. 2018 May 23;9:198. PMID: 29875707
From a survey of 396 German psychiatric inpatients, authors suggest a dimensional approach to ACEs, which combines the effects of individual ACEs plus cumulative effects of total ACEs. The study found that household dysfunction dimensions were associated with poor health behaviors and poorer socio-economic achievement in adulthood, possibly mediated by dysfunctional coping strategies; emotional and physical maltreatment with anxiety and depressive disorders, perhaps mediated by poor emotion regulation; and sexual abuse with hunger/satiation and pain intensity, possibly mediated by dysregulation of bodily sensations.
Suglia SF, Koenen KC, Boynton-Jarrett R, et. al.
Childhood and Adolescent Adversity and Cardiometabolic Outcomes: Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2018 Jan 30;137(5):e15-e28. PMID: 29254928
“Substantial evidence documents an association between childhood adversity and cardiometabolic outcomes across the life course” including obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. Article advocates for future studies that focus on mechanisms, resiliency, and vulnerability factors.
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