Social consequences and contexts of adverse childhood experiences

From Hinengaro to Hineora: Tracing the origins of Intergenerational Trauma to attain Intergenerational Healing

In Aotearoa New Zealand, colonisation continues to impact Indigenous Māori lived realities. However, Māori have been steadily progressing towards reclamation of all that was suppressed during colonisation, including tūpuna (ancestor) understandings of trauma and healing, of which wairua (referring to spirit) is at the centre. My research aimed to understand the role of wairua in the intergenerational transmission of trauma and healing through exploring my own lived experiences of trauma and healing. My methodology was developed based on tūpuna knowledge, resulting in the implementation of a Rongo-ā-Wairua Framework, a Whakapapa Methodological Approach, Whakapapa Wānanga and Te Pūtake: An Origin Analysis. Through this application of tūpuna knowledge and the centring of wairua within the research process, I uncovered the origins of the soul wounds I had inherited, enabling me to transform from Hinengaro, The Obscured Daughter into who I am now - Hineora, The Daughter of Healing.

Effects of social-ecological risk factors and resilience on the relationship between metabolic metrics and mental health among young adults

The correlation between metabolic metrics and mental health remains underexplored, with few in-depth studies examining whether this association exists among college students and whether it might be moderated by socio-ecological risk factors (SERFs) and mediated by resilience. A follow-up study design investigated the association between baseline metabolic metrics, SERFs and resilience and mental health. A multivariable linear regression model using the PROCESS method established the relationship of SERFs, resilience and metabolic metrics with mental health. Participants were 794 adolescents (mean age: 18.64 [±0.90] years). In multivariable linear regression, the high-level SERFs (β = 0.124), resilience (β = -0.042), LCI (β = 0.072), and RFM (β = 0.145) were associated with higher depression symptoms, while CVH (β = 0.602), TyG (β = 0.295), TyG-BMI (β = 0.004), and RC (β = -0.041) were not. An association was also observed between SERFs, resilience, RFM and anxiety. Resilience mediated the relationship between metabolic metrics and depression and anxiety, and SERFs moderated this relationship, demonstrating the relationship between resilience, metabolic metrics, SERFs and mental health. By revealing the potential sociological mechanism underlying the relationship between metabolic metrics and adolescents' mental health, this study provides a theoretical basis for further exploration of the biological foundations of mental health.

Adverse childhood experiences, emotional distress and dissatisfaction with motherhood among first-time mothers: Mediations and child differences

Despite the challenges associated with motherhood, studies have not consistently identified factors contributing to first-time mothers' dissatisfaction with motherhood in resource-limited regions. To fill this research gap, this study investigates how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) result in first-time mothers' dissatisfaction with motherhood through emotional distress in Nigeria. Results from the partial least square structural equation model suggests that ACEs are associated with dissatisfaction with motherhood ( = 0.092; p < 0.01) and emotional distress ( = 0.367; p < 0.001). There is also a significant association between emotional distress and dissatisfaction with motherhood ( = 0.728; p < 0.001). Indirect path from first-time mothers' ACEs to dissatisfaction with motherhood through emotional distress shows significance ( = 0.267; 95% CI (0.213, 0.323); p < 0.001). In addition, the indirect path from first-time mothers' ACEs to dissatisfaction with motherhood through child emotional closeness showed significant dampening effects ( = 0.044; 95% CI (0.025, 0.066); p < 0.001). No serial impact of emotional distress and child emotional closeness was found in the study. The findings based on child gender indicated that only among first-time mothers of female children are ACEs predictors of dissatisfaction with motherhood. Trauma-informed interventions should be introduced in primary care settings to screen for ACEs and emotional dysfunctions among first-time mothers.

Early adverse childhood experiences and adolescent sleep outcomes

BACKGROUND

Sleep is critical for physical, mental, and emotional health. This may be particularly true for adolescents experiencing rapid physiological changes. Relatively little is known about how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are implicated in adolescent experiences with sleep.

OBJECTIVE

We use data (from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS, n = 3444) to assess the relationship between early ACE exposure (by age 5) and various adolescent sleep outcomes. We anticipate that early ACEs will be associated with poor adolescent sleep outcomes.

METHODS

FFCWS data includes survey responses from parents and/or primary caregivers and children at birth and approximately one, three, five, nine, and 15 years later. The FFCWS oversampled unmarried parents with low educational attainment, income, and from marginalized racial-ethnic groups. Models of sleep outcomes included ordinary least squares, Poisson, negative binomial, logistic, and order logistic regression, as appropriate.

RESULTS

Despite a high number of ACEs, adolescent hours of sleep were consistent with published recommendations. Other measures of sleep indicated adolescents in the sample experience worse sleep on most other measures. ACE exposure was associated with difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. More ACEs was also related with problematic sleep environments (i.e., place slept) and increased snoring. There was some evidence that ACEs were related to less sleep on weekends and increased social jet lag (different patterns of sleep between weekdays and weekends).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that ACEs could be important diagnostic data for clinicians in primary care and behavioral sleep medicine practice.

Child maltreatment among victims of violent death: an analysis of national violent death reporting system data, 2014-2018

BACKGROUND

Limited information is known about the impact of childhood maltreatment on lifetime risk of violent death. This study aimed to compare manner of death, demographics, age at time of death, and the presence of a mental health or substance use disorder among decedents of violent deaths with a history of child maltreatment to those without.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study compared characteristics of pediatric and adult violent deaths with and without a history of child maltreatment that were captured in the National Violent Death Reporting System from 2014 through 2018.

RESULTS

Decedents who were male, multiracial, and had adulthood substance or mental health disorders were more likely to have a history of maltreatment. All-age decedents with a history of maltreatment were more likely to die by homicide. Adult decedents with a history of maltreatment were more likely to die by suicide. Maltreated decedents died significantly younger than non-maltreated decedents.

CONCLUSIONS

Among victims of violent deaths, an identified history of child maltreatment was associated with increased risk of homicide across the lifespan, adult suicide, and earlier death. A history of child maltreatment was also associated with mental health and substance use disorders, which may reflect one of the pathways through which the child maltreatment-to-death association functions.

Relations Between Stress-Adapted Communication Skills and Toxic Social Networks Among Young Adults with Childhood Adversity

Adverse childhood experiences are associated with deleterious outcomes across the lifespan. However, some individuals who grow up in adverse environments may develop stress-adapted skills or resilience factors that enable them to function in their current lived environments. This study explored whether communication is a stress-adapted skill among young adults with co-occurring forms of childhood adversity and the extent to which these communication skills are implicated in toxic social networks. This cross-sectional study included 384 young adults, ages 18-35 years, who completed an online survey. Mixture modeling was used to conduct latent class models estimating subgroups of young adults with co-occurring forms of early adversity; then, regression models estimated the association between communication skills and toxic social networks among subgroups. Four latent classes were identified: (1) high childhood adversity; (2) high to moderate household dysfunction and emotional abuse; (3) high emotional abuse and moderate physical abuse and emotional neglect; and (4) low or no childhood adversity. Results from regression models indicate that participants classified in the high emotional abuse and moderate physical abuse and emotional neglect class had more adaptive communication skills with friends than their counterparts in the low or no childhood adversity class, and participants in the high childhood adversity or low or no childhood adversity classes with higher communication skills were less likely to report toxic social networks. Findings suggest that stress-adapted communication skills may be one resilience factor that supports adaptation among young adults with early adversity exposures.

Adverse childhood experiences and deviant behaviors among Chinese rural emerging adults: the role of social support

BACKGROUND

ACEs hurt subsequent physical and mental health outcomes. However, still little has been known about the rate of ACEs among rural Chinese emerging adults and the different buffering effects of the three types of social support on different kinds of ACEs. This study described the rate of ACEs among Chinese rural emerging adults, examined the relationship between ACEs and deviant behaviors, and tested the moderating effect of three different sources of perceived social support on this relationship. We hope these results will be helpful in further interventions.

METHODS

We used the second wave of a longitudinal survey that included ACEs variables in 2018. A total of 1031 emerging adults aged 18 to 25 participated in the current study.

RESULTS

we found that (1) the rate of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction was 10.0, 30.0, and 24.9%, respectively among Chinese rural emerging adults; (2) abuse and household dysfunction experience were significantly and positively associated with deviant behaviors; (3) friend support moderated the relationship between three types of ACEs and deviant behaviors. Other support moderated the relationship between abuse/household dysfunction and deviant behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

ACEs could increase the risk of deviant behaviors. Perceived friend support could reduce the negative effect of three types of ACEs. Other support could reduce the negative impact of abuse and household dysfunction. These results suggest that reducing ACEs to make children's family environments safer and enhancing social support for emerging adults from rural areas are beneficial, which could prevent or reduce their deviant behaviors.