Parents’ Adverse Childhood Experiences and Their Children’s Behavioral Health Problems
Date
2018
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Pediatrics
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include stressful and
potentially traumatic events associated with higher risk of long-term behavioral problems
and chronic illnesses. Whether parents’ ACE counts (an index of standard ACEs) confer
intergenerational risk to their children’s behavioral health is unknown. In this study, we
estimate the risk of child behavioral problems as a function of parent ACE counts.
METHODS: We obtained retrospective information on 9 ACEs self-reported by parents and
parent reports of their children’s (1) behavioral problems (using the Behavior Problems
Index [BPI]), (2) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis, and (3) emotional
disturbance diagnosis from the 2013 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) core
interview and the linked PSID Childhood Retrospective Circumstances Study and 2014 PSID
Child Development Supplement. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were
used to estimate child behavioral health outcomes by parent retrospective ACE count.
RESULTS: Children of parents with a history of 4 or more ACEs had on average a 2.3-point
(95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3–3.2) higher score on the BPI, 2.1 times (95% CI: 1.1–3.8)
higher odds of hyperactivity, and 4.2 times (95% CI: 1.7–10.8) higher odds of an emotional
disturbance diagnosis than children of parents with no ACEs. Maternal ACEs revealed
a stronger association with child behavior problems than paternal ACEs. Relationships
between parents’ 9 component ACEs individually and children’s BPI scores revealed
consistently positive associations. Mediation by parent emotional distress and aggravation
were observed.
CONCLUSIONS: Parents with greater exposure to ACEs are more likely to have children with
behavioral health problems.
Description
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Keywords
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), parents, long term effects, behavioral effects, intergenerational
Citation
Schickedanz, A., Halfon, N., Sastry, N., & Chung, P. J. (2018). Parents’ adverse childhood experiences and their children’s behavioral health problems. Pediatrics, 142(2), :e20180023.