Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Well-Being in a Low-income, Urban Cohort

Abstract

Objective This study tests the association between ACEs during childhood and multi-dimensional well-being in early adulthood for a low-income urban cohort, and whether a preschool preventive intervention moderates this association. Methods Follow-up data were analyzed for 1,202 low-income, minority participants in the Chicago Longitudinal Study, a prospective investigation of the impact of early experiences on life-course well-being. Born in 1979-1980 in high-poverty neighborhoods, individuals retrospectively reported ACEs from birth to adolescence, except in cases of child abuse and neglect. . Results Nearly two-thirds of the study sample experienced one or more ACEs by age 18. After controlling for demographic factors and early intervention status, individuals reporting ACEs were significantly more likely to exhibit poor outcomes than those with no ACEs. Those with four or more ACEs had significantly reduced likelihood of high school graduation (OR = .37; p < .001), increased risk for depression (OR = 3.9; p < .001), health compromising behaviors (OR = 4.5; p < .001), juvenile arrest (OR = 3.1; p < .001) and felony charges (OR = 2.8; p < .001). They were also less likely to hold skilled jobs (OR = .50; p = .001) and to go further in school even for adversity measured by age 5. Conclusions ACEs consistently predicted a diverse set of adult outcomes in a high-risk economically disadvantaged sample. Effective and widely available preventive interventions are needed to counteract the long-term consequences of ACEs.

Direct and Indirect Pathways From Adverse Childhood Experiences to High School Dropout Among High‐Risk Adolescents

“…Consistent with recent findings, there was a direct relationship between the number of ACEs and high school dropout independent of other risk factors (Giovanelli et al., ). This finding is not surprising, as childhood adversity has been found to result in elevated rates of academic failure (Boden et al., ; Dube et al., ; Giovanelli et al., ).…”

“…Whereas the association between ACEs and school dropout has been reported among adolescents from the general population (Boden et al., ; Dube et al., ; Giovanelli et al., ), the present study found that this is also true among high‐risk adolescents who have experienced an elevated number of adversities. In addition to the direct association of ACEs with dropout, disruptions in multiple domains of development (e.g., behavioral, academic) as a result of ACEs provide indirect pathways to school dropout.…”

“…ACEs have been linked to serious negative adult outcomes, including physical and mental health problems, reduced economic well‐being (i.e., lower levels of employment, earnings, and fewer assets), and criminality (Currie & Widom, ; Fang et al., ; Felitti, ). ACEs also have been linked to negative adolescent outcomes, such as increased risk for school dropout (Dube, Cook, & Edwards, ; Giovanelli, Reynolds, Mondi, & Ou, ); however, the specific mechanisms that explain this association remain unclear. This study examined several pathways to school dropout in a prospective study of adolescents at high risk for ACEs.…”

Predictors of depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood in a low-income urban cohort

“…Chapman and colleagues (2004) identified a strong graded relationship between cumulative self-reported ACEs (maltreatment; exposure to substance abuse, mental illness, violent treatment of a maternal figure, and criminal behavior in the household) and adult depression in a large sample. Similarly, in a study examining a large sample of African Americans who grew up in urban poverty, Giovanelli, Reynolds, Mondi, and Ou (2016) reported that ACE-affected participants were significantly more likely to report depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood, with an odds ratio of 3.9 for participants reporting four or more ACEs. Research has also linked early ACEs (through age five) to more severe neurodevelopmental repercussions and higher rates of negative outcomes in adulthood, including depression (Giovanelli, Reynolds, Mondi, & Ou; Chu & Lieberman, 2010).…”

Maternal Interpersonal Trauma and Child Social‐Emotional Development: An Intergenerational Effect

“…Interpersonal trauma during childhood increases risk for negative academic and behavioural outcomes, psychopathologies, and a myriad of other short‐and long‐term health problems . Several of these effects persist in low income populations .…”