Adverse Childhood Experiences and Hospital-Treated Self-Harm

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been implicated in a range of negative health outcomes in adulthood, including increased suicide mortality. In this study, we explored the relationship between ACEs and hospital-treated self-harm. Specifically, we investigated whether those who had a history of repeat self-harm reported more ACEs than those who had self-harmed for the first time. Patients (n = 189) admitted to two hospitals in Glasgow (UK) following first-time (n = 41) or repeated (n = 148) self-harm completed psychosocial measures. Univariate analyses revealed that those presenting with repeat self-harm reported higher depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, intent to die, and ACEs, and lower dependent attachment style. However, only ACEs, along with female gender and depressive symptoms, significantly differentiated between the repeat self-harm group and the first-time self-harm group in the multivariate model. Controlling for all other psychosocial variables, participants who reported 4+ ACEs were significantly more likely to be in the repeat self-harm group as compared to those who experienced 0–3 ACEs. This finding highlights the pernicious effect of exposure to multiple ACEs. Further research is urgently required to better understand the mechanisms that explain this relationship. Clinicians should be aware of the extent of the association between ACEs and repeat self-harm.

Suicide Risk and Mental Disorders

“…The severity of depression was a significant correlate of suicidality in both men and women, but suicide attempts were significantly more common among females with a younger age of depression onset, and a higher number of psychiatric comorbidities. No additional factors were found for males, which agrees with the study on ACE above [ 9 ]. Prediction may be more difficult in men, and they more often die by their own hand.…”

“…Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) have been implicated in a range of negative health outcomes in adulthood, including mental disorders and suicide death. One paper explores the relationship between ACE and hospital-treated self-harm in Glasgow [ 9 ]. First-time and repeat self-harm were compared, including mental health, psychosocial measures, and attachment style.…”

Measuring the Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences by Survey Research Methods

“…The consequences of childhood maltreatment can last well into adulthood or even throughout life, impacting adult physical health, mental pathology, and quality of life [8,9,10,11]. Numerous studies have shown that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs, including forms of child maltreatment and household dysfunctions) are major risk factors for acute and chronic somatic and mental diseases such as anxiety or post-traumatic disorders mediated by risk behaviors such as smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, suicide attempts, aggressive behaviors, risky sexual behaviors, and low mental resilience [12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20]. Previous studies provided strong evidence that ACEs tend to co-occur in which intergenerational transmission of adversity might be a contributing factor [21,22,23,24].…”

From trauma-blind to trauma-informed: re-thinking criminalization and the role of trauma in persons with serious mental illness

“…26 Trauma also exacerbates expression of comorbid conditions: in patients with schizophrenia, PTSD is associated with increased suicidality, severity of positive symptoms, neurocognitive impairment, lower levels of functioning, and poor quality of life. 13 Exposure to early trauma has also been connected to repeated selfinjurious behavior in adulthood, 27 emotional dysregulation, and increased irritability. 28…”