Associations between adverse childhood experiences and psychological distress among Swedish upper secondary school students

Background

The detrimental impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on health have been extensively studied, mainly focusing on the effects of ACEs on adults. However, there is a dearth of studies exploring their influences on adolescents.

Objective

This study aims to investigate the associations between ACEs and psychological distress among Swedish adolescents.

Participants and setting

At the end of 2020, 1561 Swedish adolescents (15–19-years-old) participated in an electronic survey. The survey encompassed questions about alcohol and drug use problems within the students' families, questions about the students' experiences of physical and psychological abuse, and the administration of the Brief Symptom Inventory to assess their mental health.

Methods

Descriptive and comparative non-parametric statistics were applied.

Results

Nearly half of the study population reported experiencing one or more ACEs. Exposure to any ACE was significantly associated with a higher level of psychological distress. Of the ACEs examined, the experience of psychological abuse was the most substantial risk factor for psychological distress (with medium effect sizes of ε² between 0.07 and 0.12 on each domain and a large effect size of ε² = 0.14 on the General Severity Index scale). There was a positive correlation (r = 0.36) between the number of ACEs experienced and worsened mental health.

Conclusions

The significant impacts of any ACE, the cumulative number of ACEs, and, particularly, psychological abuse on adolescent mental health are discussed. To further enhance the understanding of these associations and identify effective interventions to prevent and mitigate the negative impact of ACEs on mental health, additional research is warranted.