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Objectives To analyze adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among mothers of newborns referred to a hospital&apos;s child protection team (CPT) for suspected substance exposure. Researchers hypothesized that a higher prevalence of these mothers have [greater than or equal to] 4 ACEs than female counterparts in the general population. The study team also explored whether associations existed between type of maternal ACEs and substance use in pregnancy. Methods Retrospective review of infant referrals to the CPT in the 3 years after adding an ACEs questionnaire to the consultation process. Bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression models examined associations between prenatal substance use and maternal ACEs prevalence, controlling for demographics. Results Data from 222 infants (four sets of twins) and 218 mothers were analyzed. Half (50.0%) the infants had withdrawal symptoms. Most (67.0%) women had positive toxicology screens, while 85.0% reported prenatal substance use. Half (50.9%) the mothers reported [greater than or equal to] 4 ACEs and these individuals had significantly higher odds of cannabinoid use [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 3.7; 95%CI 2.0, 6.9, p < 0.001) than those with < 4 ACEs. A significant association was found between substance use and ACEs in the household challenges category (p = 0.03), especially parental separation/divorce (p < 0.001). Conclusions for Practice As hypothesized, a higher prevalence of mothers referred to the CPT had [greater than or equal to] 4 ACEs than women in the general population (50.9% vs. 15.2%), and a large proportion had used substances while pregnant. Routine prenatal ACEs screening and universal, nonpunitive toxicology testing of infants and mothers at birth may provide opportunities for intervention while reducing the transgenerational impact of ACEs., Author(s): Shae Duka [sup.1] [sup.2] , Sadeea Rahman [sup.3] , Susan E. Hansen [sup.1] [sup.2] , Debra Esernio-Jenssen [sup.2] [sup.4] [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/00sf92s91, grid.415875.a, 0000 0004 0368 6175, [...]

Men have been underrepresented in research investigating the pathway from social anxiety through loneliness to suicidality. The present study examined loneliness as a mediator between social anxiety and suicidality among men, along with exposure to childhood trauma as a moderator of this pathway. A nationally representative sample of 530 Canadian men completed study measures online. Bootstrapped tests of indirect effects indicated loneliness to be a significant mediator after controlling for depression symptoms, and this mediation effect was moderated by exposure to multiple types of childhood trauma. The link between social anxiety and loneliness--and the mediating effect of loneliness on suicidality--was strongest among men reporting two or more types of childhood trauma. Efforts to mitigate men's suicidality in the context of social anxiety may benefit from targeting loneliness, with particular attention to the effects of childhood trauma., Author(s): David Kealy [sup.1] , Simon M. Rice [sup.2] [sup.3] , Zac E. Seidler [sup.2] [sup.3] , John S. Ogrodniczuk [sup.1] , John L. Oliffe [sup.4] [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) [...]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been repeatedly associated with a wide range of physical and mental health issues. Research has indicated high levels of anxiety and depression among university students, and a few studies have documented the relationship between ACEs and anxiety in the university student population. This study surveyed first year students at a university located in the most ethnically diverse district in England, with the second highest poverty rate. Eight hundred and fifty-eight responded; a response rate of 12%. The survey included questions about adverse childhood events, recent life stressors, current deprivation, quality of life, positive physical health and positive mental health, and used the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, a standardised measure. Thirty-seven percent of the responding students met the diagnosis for generalised anxiety disorder. In a multivariate multiple regression model, life stressors and childhood adversities were significantly associated with higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of physical and mental health. Only childhood adversities significantly predicted lower levels of quality of life. The findings highlight the importance of considering adverse childhood experiences in enhancing the wellbeing of the student population. Given the demographics of the student population at the University of East London, the high rates of ACEs and anxiety are likely to partially reflect poverty and racism. The implications of the findings for trauma-informed policies and practices in universities are discussed., Author(s): Emma Davies [sup.1] , John Read [sup.2] , Mark Shevlin [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.60969.30, 0000 0001 2189 1306, School of Business and Law, University of East London, , [...]

Objectives. We assessed sexual orientation disparities in exposure to violence and other potentially traumatic events and onset of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a representative US sample. Methods. We used data from 34653 noninstitutionalized adult US residents from the 2004 to 2005 wave of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Results. Lesbians and gay men, bisexuals, and heterosexuals who reported any same-sex sexual partners over their lifetime had greater risk of childhood maltreatment, interpersonal violence, trauma to a close friend or relative, and unexpected death of someone close than did heterosexuals with no same-sex attractions or partners. Risk of onset of PTSD was higher among lesbians and gays (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]= 1.34, 3.06), bisexuals (AOR=2.13; 95% CI=1.38, 3.29), and heterosexuals with any same-sex partners (AOR=2.06; 95% CI=1.54, 2.74) than it was among the heterosexual reference group. This higher risk was largely accounted for by sexual orientation minorities' greater exposure to violence, exposure to more potentially traumatic events, and earlier age of trauma exposure. Conclusions. Profound sexual orientation disparities exist in risk of PTSD and in violence exposure, beginning in childhood. Our findings suggest there is an urgent need for public health interventions aimed at preventing violence against individuals with minority sexual orientations and providing follow-up care to cope with the sequelae of violent victimization. (Am J Public Health. 2010;100: 2433-2441. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.168971)

Data regarding the effects of domestic violence and parental divorce have been inconsistent. Assessments of the effects of childhood trauma on psychosocial adjustment might be enhanced by an examination of the way developmental stressors interact. A total of 370 college students with histories of combinations of parental divorce and domestic violence participated in this correlational study of best friendships in early adulthood. College students exposed to domestic violence during childhood described their best friendships as relatively less reinforcing, helpful, and sustainable than those without the abuse history. Participants from intact families, as compared to those with parental divorce histories, described their best friendship as relatively more reinforcing and favorable. The combination of parental divorce and exposure to domestic violence was linked to magnified effects regarding these best friendship qualities. Average effect sizes for domestic violence (d = .31), parental divorce (d = .18), and the interaction between domestic abuse and divorce (d = .85) pointed to mild to modest links between these stressors and best friendship qualities. These results emphasized the benefits of interaction analysis in attempts to predict the adverse effects of developmental stressors on late psychological functioning. KEYWORDS Acquaintance Description Form (ADF-2), divorce, domestic violence, closet friend, friendship qualities

The study investigated the effects of World War II (WWII) on psychological and social functioning of Jewish and non-Jewish survivors 60 years after the war. The authors hypothesized that the level of posttraumatic symptoms, depression, and social isolation of survivors who were at least 5 years old (but younger than 18) in the last year of WWII would be predicted by the extent of traumatic loss, (i.e., death of parent[s]) and age at the end of WWII. Data were collected from 211 individuals living in Poland, ages 66-80; 30% were Jewish Holocaust survivors. Current posttraumatic stress disorder was almost 2 times higher for Jewish (55.6%) than for non-Jewish survivors (30.9%), whereas no differences were found for depression and social isolation. Parental loss during the war predicted a global decrement of well-being (across measured outcome indices). For certain subgroups (e.g., Jewish survivors who had not lost their parents during WWII), war trauma may have less profound effects if most of the trauma exposure occurred during an earlier age (i.e., Keywords: child war survivor, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Holocaust, parental loss, social isolation

Few studies have investigated the characteristics of female sex offenders and factors and/or causes of female deviance. Research to date has been descriptive in nature, with few comparison studies. Using a correlational design and three valid instruments, female sexual offenders and a matched group of female nonsexual offenders are compared in the areas of personality disorders, chemical dependency, childhood trauma, sexual trauma, emotional neediness, cognitive distortions, and social competence. A sample of 130 incarcerated females, 60 sex offenders, and 70 nonsexual offenders is used. Significant results are found in the areas of total childhood trauma and severity of sexual abuse suffered and social and sexual adequacy. No differences are found in abuse of substances, personality disorders, emotional neediness, or cognitive distortions. Keywords: sexual abuse; female sex offenders; personality disorders, childhood trauma; social competence: social work

Research studies investigating the impact of childhood cumulative adversity on adult mental health have proliferated in recent years. In general, little attention has been paid to the operationalization of cumulative adversity, with most studies operationalizing this as the simple sum of the number of occurrences of distinct events experienced. In addition, the possibility that the mathematical relationship of cumulative childhood adversity to some mental health dimensions may be more complex than a basic linear association has not often been considered. This study explores these issues with 2 waves of data drawn from an economically and racially diverse sample transitioning to adulthood in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. A diverse set of childhood adversities were reported in high school and 3 mental health outcomes--depressed mood, drug use, and antisocial behavior--were reported 2 years later during the transition to adulthood. Our results suggest that both operationalization and statistical modeling are important and interrelated and, as such, they have the potential to influence substantive interpretation of the effect of cumulative childhood adversity on adult mental health. In our data, total cumulative childhood adversity was related to depressive symptoms, drug use, and antisocial behavior in a positive curvilinear manner with incremental impact increasing as adversities accumulate, but further analysis revealed that this curvilinear effect was an artifact of the confounding of high cumulative adversity scores with the experience of more severe events. Thus, respondents with higher cumulative adversity had disproportionately poorer mental health because of the severity of the adversities they were exposed to, not the cumulative number of different types of adversities experienced. These results indicate that public health efforts targeting prevention of childhood adversities would best be aimed at the most severe adversities in order to have greatest benefit to mental health in young adulthood. Keywords: USA; Cumulative adversity; Transition to adulthood; Depression: Drug use: Antisocial behavior: Adolescents; Mental health

Objective: The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the relationship between several proposed protective factors and trauma symptoms among highly vulnerable youth in the child welfare system. Methods: Participants were 142 youth identified with a sexual behavior problem and their caregivers. Two waves of data were collected for each participant an average of 18 months apart. Foster parents reported on perceived level of support from the child welfare agency, youth involvement in club activities, and perception of youths' interpersonal and emotional competence. Youth provided self-reports of their sexual and physical abuse experiences, trauma symptoms at both time 1 and time 2, and ratings of parenting practices. Results: Youth with higher rates of sexual abuse showed more negative affect and higher levels of sexual and non-sexual rumination at time 2, controlling for time 1 scores. Boys and youth who experienced better parenting practices displayed lower negative affect. Youth with higher levels of emotional and interpersonal competence showed lower levels of non-sexual rumination. Moderation analyses revealed that youth with more significant sexual abuse histories whose foster parents did not feel supported by their child welfare caseworkers had higher levels of sexually ruminative thoughts. Finally, the results revealed that only youth without sexual abuse histories experienced the benefits of club involvement in terms of lower sexual rumination scores. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that youth with significant vulnerabilities can still exhibit a degree of protection from trauma symptomatology in the presence of a wide range of personal and social variables. These findings support the efforts of stakeholders to promote strengths at the level of the individual, family, and broader social network and community. Keywords: Child welfare; Resilience; Maltreatment; Sexual behavior

Objectives. We sought to describe the prevalence of childhood traumatic events among incarcerated women in substance abuse treatment and to assess the relation between cumulative childhood traumatic events and adult physical and mental health problems. Methods. The study was modeled after the Adverse Childhood Events study's findings. In-depth baseline interview data for 500 women participating in the Female Offender Treatment and Employment Program evaluation were analyzed. Results. Hypotheses were supported, and regression results showed that the impact of childhood traumatic events on health outcomes is strong and cumulative (greater exposure to childhood traumatic events increased the likelihood of 12 of 18 health-related outcomes, ranging from a 15% increase in the odds of reporting fair/poor health to a 40% increase in the odds of mental health treatment in adulthood). Conclusions. Our findings suggest a need for early prevention and intervention, and appropriate trauma treatment, within correctional treatment settings.

This exploratory, qualitative study of 84 adults who have survived and transcended a traumatic childhood describes the role their spouses played in the process of rising above their difficult childhood experiences. The participants talked about what they were looking for in a spouse, negative marriage experiences, and the positive role spousal support played in transcending the traumatic childhood. The study of their lives reveals important insights into the role of marriage in the process by which people grow into healthy adults. These insights will be useful to people who work with couples in which one person is seeking to leave past difficulties behind. KEYWORDS. Traumatic childhood, abuse, marriage, spousal support

Previous research suggests that, as a group, people who believe in the paranormal tend to have a history of traumatic events in childhood. This relationship has been incorporated into Irwin's 1993 model of the psychological origins and functions of paranormal belief. A constructive replication of the relationship and a test of Irwin's model was undertaken in relation to a specific context, namely, a childhood spent with an alcoholic parent. Compared to 89 control participants, a sample of 32 adults who were children of alcoholics had stronger beliefs in witchcraft, superstitions, and precognition. The results are discussed in relation to two components of Irwin's model.