Pathway of effects of adverse childhood experiences on psychological distress and substance use among emerging adults: A structural equation modeling approach

IF 1.7 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health Pub Date : 2025-07-01 DOI:10.1016/j.cegh.2025.102114

Ajith K. Remesan , Varalakshmi Chandra Sekaran , Satyanarayana Poojari , Teddy Andrews Jaihind Jothikaran , Vani Lakshmi R , Lena Ashok

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) refer to various types of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction that individuals may experience in childhood. These experiences can lead to significant long-term effects on mental health and behavior. Individuals with higher ACE scores are more likely to experience psychological distress and the uptake of substances. This study aimed to explore the relationship between ACEs, psychological distress, and substance use among emerging adults.

Methods

The cross-sectional study was conducted in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. The undergraduate colleges associated with Mangalore University were the sampling units. A multi-stage cluster random sampling method was employed to select 12 colleges from the undergraduate institutions in the district affiliated with Mangalore University based on their various courses. Data was collected in a classroom setting among 957 emerging adults between June 2023 and October 2023.

Results

Among the participants, 18.91 % reported ACEs. Additionally, the prevalence of psychological distress and substance use were noted to be 27.03 % and 17.97 %, respectively. Tobacco and alcohol were having a higher prevalence in comparison with other substances. Furthermore, emerging adults who have experienced ACEs are significantly more prone to experiencing psychological distress.

Conclusion

The study highlights the connection between ACEs, psychological distress, and substance use in emerging adults. It calls for integrating ACEs into interventions and policies, emphasizing the need for global research, particularly in India, to foster social cohesion and well-being through prevention and early detection strategies.

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不良童年经历对新兴成人心理困扰和物质使用的影响途径：结构方程建模方法

不良童年经历（ace）是指个体在童年时期可能经历的各种类型的虐待、忽视和家庭功能障碍。这些经历会对心理健康和行为产生重大的长期影响。ACE得分较高的人更有可能经历心理困扰和吸毒。本研究旨在探讨新兴成人的ace、心理困扰和药物使用之间的关系。方法在印度卡纳塔克邦Udupi地区进行横断面研究。与芒格洛尔大学有关联的本科学院为抽样单位。采用多阶段整群随机抽样的方法，从芒格洛尔大学所属地区的本科院校中，根据其开设的课程选择12所学院。在2023年6月至2023年10月期间，在教室环境中收集了957名新生成人的数据。结果18.91%的参与者报告有不良反应。此外，心理困扰和物质使用的患病率分别为27.03%和17.97%。与其他物质相比，烟草和酒精的流行率更高。此外，经历过ace的新成人明显更容易经历心理困扰。结论：该研究强调了新兴成人中ace、心理困扰和药物使用之间的联系。报告呼吁将急性呼吸道感染纳入干预措施和政策，强调需要开展全球研究，特别是在印度开展研究，通过预防和早期发现战略促进社会凝聚力和福祉。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-

CiteScore

4.60

自引率

7.70%

发文量

218

审稿时长

66 days

期刊介绍： Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health (CEGH) is a multidisciplinary journal and it is published four times (March, June, September, December) a year. The mandate of CEGH is to promote articles on clinical epidemiology with focus on developing countries in the context of global health. We also accept articles from other countries. It publishes original research work across all disciplines of medicine and allied sciences, related to clinical epidemiology and global health. The journal publishes Original articles, Review articles, Evidence Summaries, Letters to the Editor. All articles published in CEGH are peer-reviewed and published online for immediate access and citation.