ACEs and counter-ACEs: How positive and negative childhood experiences influence adult health |
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| Institution: | 1. Brigham Young University, Department of Public Health, USA;2. United Way of Utah County, USA;1. Rural and Minority Health Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States;2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States;3. South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States;4. Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States;1. Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States;2. Departments of Community Health Sciences and Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Canada;3. Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, United States;4. School of Social Work, University of Michigan, United States;1. Department of Psychology, University of Denver, United States;2. University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry/ Child Trauma Research Program, United States;3. Children’s Research and Education Institute, New York City, NY, United States;1. School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China;2. School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong;3. Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, China;1. College of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK;2. Directorate of Policy, Research and International Development, Public Health Wales, Clwydian House, Wrexham, UK;3. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, Division of NonCommunicable Diseases and Promoting Health through the Life-Course, Copenhagen, Denmark;4. World Health Organization, Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention, Geneva, Switzerland;5. Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK;6. Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK;7. School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia |
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| Abstract: | BackgroundNumerous studies over the past two decades have found a link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and worse adult health outcomes. Less well understood is how advantageous childhood experiences (counter-ACEs) may lead to better adult health, especially in the presence of adversity.ObjectiveTo examine how counter-ACEs and ACEs affect adult physical and mental health using Resiliency Theory as the theoretical framework.Participants and settingParticipants were Amazon mTurk users ages 19–57 years (N = 246; 42% female) who completed an online survey.MethodsWe conducted a series of regression analyses to examine how counter-ACEs and ACEs predicted adult health.ResultsCorresponding to the Compensatory Model of Resiliency Theory, higher counter-ACEs scores were associated with improved adult health and that counter-ACEs neutralized the negative impact of ACEs on adult health. Contrary to the Protective Factors Model, there was a stronger relationship between ACEs and worse adult health among those with above average counter-ACEs scores compared to those with below average counter-ACEs scores. Consistent with the Challenge Model, counter-ACEs had a reduced positive effect on adult health among those with four or more ACEs compared to those with fewer than four ACEs.ConclusionsOverall, the findings suggest that counter-ACEs protect against poor adult health and lead to better adult wellness. When ACEs scores are moderate, counter-ACEs largely neutralize the negative effects of ACEs on adult health. Ultimately, the results demonstrate that a public health approach to promoting positive childhood experiences may promote better lifelong health. |
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| Keywords: | Childhood Adversity Physical health Mental health Resilience |
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