Effects of expanded adverse childhood experiences including school bullying, childhood poverty, and natural disasters on mental health in adulthood

• Published in: Scientific Reports
• Main Authors: Natsu Sasaki, Kazuhiro Watanabe, Yoshiaki Kanamori, Takahiro Tabuchi, Takeo Fujiwara, Daisuke Nishi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-05-01
• Subjects: Maltreatment; Depression; Anxiety; Life-course; Public health
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-62634-7

Abstract The study aimed to examine the association of expanded adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with psychological distress in adulthood. The data from nation-wide online cohort was used for analysis. Community dwelling adults in Japan were included. The ACEs was assessed by 15 items of ACE-J, including childhood poverty and school bullying. Severe psychological distress was determined as the score of Kessler 6 over 13. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted, by using sample weighting. A total of 28,617 participants were analyzed. About 75% of Japanese people had one or more ACEs. The prevalence of those with ACEs over 4 was 14.7%. Those with ACEs over 4 showed adjusted odds ratio = 8.18 [95% CI 7.14–9.38] for severe psychological distress. The prevalence of childhood poverty was 29% for 50–64 year old participants and 40% of 65 or older participants. The impact of childhood poverty on psychological distress was less than other ACEs in these age cohorts. Bullying was experienced 21–27% in young generations, but 10% in 65 or older participants. However, the impact on psychological distress in adulthood was relatively high in all age groups. ACEs have impacted mental health for a long time. Future research and practice to reduce ACEs are encouraged.