TY - JOUR
T1 - Adverse childhood experiences and adult mood problems
T2 - Evidence from a five-decade prospective birth cohort
AU - Selous, Camilla
AU - Kelly-Irving, Michelle
AU - Maughan, Barbara
AU - Eyre, Olga
AU - Rice, Frances
AU - Collishaw, Stephan
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - BackgroundRetrospectively recalled adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with adult mood problems, but evidence from prospective population cohorts is limited. The aims of this study were to test links between prospectively ascertained ACEs and adult mood problems up to age 50, to examine the role of child mental health in accounting for observed associations, and to test gender differences in associations.MethodsThe National Child Development Study is a UK population cohort of children born in 1958. ACEs were defined using parent or teacher reports of family adversity (parental separation, child taken into care, parental neglect, family mental health service use, alcoholism and criminality) at ages 7-16. Children with no known (n = 9168), single (n = 2488) and multiple (n = 897) ACEs were identified in childhood. Adult mood problems were assessed using the Malaise inventory at ages 23, 33, 42 and 50 years. Associations were examined separately for males and females.ResultsExperiencing single or multiple ACEs was associated with increased rates of adult mood problems after adjustment for childhood psychopathology and confounders at birth [2+ v. 0 ACEs - men: age 23: odds ratio (OR) 2.36 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7-3.3); age 33: OR 2.40 (1.7-3.4); age 42: OR 1.85 (1.4-2.4); age 50: OR 2.63 (2.0-3.5); women: age 23: OR 2.00 (95% CI 1.5-2.6); age 33: OR 1.81 (1.3-2.5); age 42: OR 1.59 (1.2-2.1); age 50: OR 1.32 (1.0-1.7)].ConclusionsChildren exposed to ACEs are at elevated risk for adult mood problems and a priority for early prevention irrespective of the presence of psychopathology in childhood.
AB - BackgroundRetrospectively recalled adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with adult mood problems, but evidence from prospective population cohorts is limited. The aims of this study were to test links between prospectively ascertained ACEs and adult mood problems up to age 50, to examine the role of child mental health in accounting for observed associations, and to test gender differences in associations.MethodsThe National Child Development Study is a UK population cohort of children born in 1958. ACEs were defined using parent or teacher reports of family adversity (parental separation, child taken into care, parental neglect, family mental health service use, alcoholism and criminality) at ages 7-16. Children with no known (n = 9168), single (n = 2488) and multiple (n = 897) ACEs were identified in childhood. Adult mood problems were assessed using the Malaise inventory at ages 23, 33, 42 and 50 years. Associations were examined separately for males and females.ResultsExperiencing single or multiple ACEs was associated with increased rates of adult mood problems after adjustment for childhood psychopathology and confounders at birth [2+ v. 0 ACEs - men: age 23: odds ratio (OR) 2.36 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7-3.3); age 33: OR 2.40 (1.7-3.4); age 42: OR 1.85 (1.4-2.4); age 50: OR 2.63 (2.0-3.5); women: age 23: OR 2.00 (95% CI 1.5-2.6); age 33: OR 1.81 (1.3-2.5); age 42: OR 1.59 (1.2-2.1); age 50: OR 1.32 (1.0-1.7)].ConclusionsChildren exposed to ACEs are at elevated risk for adult mood problems and a priority for early prevention irrespective of the presence of psychopathology in childhood.
KW - ACE
KW - birth cohort
KW - depression
KW - prospective
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85073029013&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S003329171900271X
DO - 10.1017/S003329171900271X
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85073029013
SN - 0033-2917
JO - Psychological Medicine
JF - Psychological Medicine
ER -
