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Abstract Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to numerous negative physical and mental health outcomes across the lifespan. As such, self-report questionnaires that assess for ACEs are increasingly used in healthcare settings. However, previous research has generated some concern over the reliability of retrospective reports of childhood adversity, and it has been proposed that symptoms of depression may increase recall of negative memories. To investigate the stability of ACE scores over time and whether they are influenced by symptoms of depression, we recruited 284 participants (M age = 40.96, SD = 16.05) from primary care clinics. Participants completed self-report measures of depression and ACEs twice, three months apart. The test-retest reliability of ACEs was very high (r =.91, p <.001). A cross-lagged panel analysis indicated that PHQ-9 scores at Time 1 were not predictive of changes in ACE scores at Time 2 (β = 0.00, p =.96). Results of this study indicate that changes in symptoms of depression do not correspond with changes in ACE scores among adults. This study provides support for the stability and reliability of ACE scores over time, regardless of depression status, and suggests that ACE measures are appropriate for use in healthcare settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are risk factors for interpersonal difficulties in adulthood, however the mechanism that underlies this association is unknown. The current study investigated the association of a wide range of ACEs with interpersonal difficulties in adulthood, and tested whether emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between ACEs and interpersonal difficulties. Patients over the age of 18 were recruited from primary care clinics ( N  = 4006). Participants completed self-report questionnaires that assessed ACEs, emotion dysregulation, and interpersonal difficulties. Results indicated that, after controlling for a range of demographic variables, each type of ACE significantly predicted increased interpersonal difficulties and that cumulative ACEs predicted increased interpersonal difficulties, F (8, 3137) = 39.68, p  < .001, R 2  = 0.09. Further, emotion dysregulation mediated the association between ACEs and interpersonal difficulties, B = 0.79, SE = 0.09, 95% CI [0.64, 0.97]. These findings emphasize the role of childhood adversity on interpersonal functioning in adulthood, and highlight emotion dysregulation as a mechanism by which this association occurs. Results have the potential to inform preventative and treatment efforts to improve adaptive outcomes among individuals with a history of childhood adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as childhood abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, have been identified as salient risk factors for adult depression. However, not all individuals who experience ACEs go on to develop depression. The extent to which resilience- or the ability to demonstrate stable levels of functioning despite adversity- may act as a buffer against depression among individuals with a history of ACEs has not been adequately examined. To address the associations between ACEs, depression, and resilience, 4006 adult participants were recruited from primary care clinics. Participants completed self-report questionnaires including: the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, a retrospective measure of childhood adversity; the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, a measure of the presence and severity of the major symptoms of depression; and the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale, a measure of psychological resilience. Results from regression analyses indicated that, while controlling for a range of demographic variables, both ACEs and resilience independently predicted symptoms of depression, F (9, 3040) = 184.81, R 2 = 0.354. Further, resilience moderated the association between ACEs and depression, F (10, 3039) = 174.36, p < 0.001, R 2 = 0.365. Specifically, the association between ACEs and depression was stronger among individuals with low resilience relative to those with high resilience. This research provides important information regarding the relationships among ACEs, resilience, and depression. Results have the potential to inform the development of treatments aimed to reduce symptoms of depression among primary care patients with a history of childhood adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Symptoms of depression are highly prevalent among individuals with gambling disorder, and severity of depression is associated with severity of gambling problem. Yet, little is known about the psychological mechanisms by which symptoms of depression lead to greater gambling severity. In this study, we tested whether cognitive distortions represent one such mechanism, as cognitive distortions are key characteristics in both depression and gambling disorder and have been shown to be associated with gambling severity.Methods: A mediation model was tested among 345 treatment-seeking individuals with gambling disorder in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The diagnosis of gambling disorder was made using semi-structured clinical interviews and participants completed psychometrically sound self-report measures of depression symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-I), gambling-related cognitive distortions (Gamblers' Beliefs Questionnaire), and gambling severity (Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale).Results: As hypothesized, increased symptoms of depression were significantly associated with both increased disordered gambling severity and increased gambling-related cognitive distortions. Further, gambling-related cognitive distortions predicted greater disordered gambling severity when controlling for depression symptomology. Results from the bootstrapping method indicated that the relationship between symptoms of depression and increased disordered gambling severity is mediated by gambling-related cognitive distortions.Conclusions: Consistent with our predictions, gambling-related cognitive distortions mediated the relationship between depression symptoms and gambling severity among a sample of treatment-seeking disordered gamblers. These results suggest that cognitive distortions may be a key intervention target for the treatment of concurrent depression and gambling disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]