“Children who do not develop mental health problems early in life despite exposure to multiple adversities may experience such challenges in early adulthood…”
An article in Psychiatric News (Nov. 13, 2023) discussed research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry that compared outcomes among children with multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), e.g., violence, neglect, poverty, etc.
If you compare adults who had multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and did did not have mental health issues as children to adults who did not have ACEs, the former group had 4.5 times the rate of depression and 3 times the rate of anxiety than the latter group.
However, the adults who had multiple ACEs and had mental health problems as children had the worst “health and mental functioning.” They also had worse physical and financial health.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are major examples of the social determinants of health.
The information in this blog is from Psychiatric News Nov. 13, 2023.
Peter M. Hartmann, MD
Family Medicine & Psychiatry
