Sarah Beth Bell, Sydney Wyatt, Madison Bickle, Lana Mnajjed, Anna Shadid, Ayah Saleh
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
In the past 20 years, childhood trauma has often been measured by the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) scale. This cumulative risk scale asks whether 10 specific adverse experiences occurred before the age of 18, with higher scores indicating higher risk of negative biopsychosocial outcomes in adulthood. Although valuable, this binary approach may not provide rich enough information to identify those at risk for negative health and psychological outcomes. In this study, we developed a scale measuring the magnitude of adverse childhood experiences as well as a scale measuring the perceived impact of adverse childhood experiences. We compared these scales with the traditional ACEs scale to determine which of the three was most closely correlated with general health, self-esteem, aggressive behavior, social pain, social support, post-traumatic stress disorder, and loneliness. The first study population was drawn from a snowball community sample of 208 participants with an average ACE score of 3.83 (SD = 2.79). The second study population was a US nationally representative online sample of 318 participants from Prolific Academic with an average ACE score of 3.13 (SD = 2.36). In both studies, we found the three scales to be equally predictive of all seven outcome variables. Results suggest the traditional ACEs scale may be sufficient for identifying people experiencing higher levels of trauma. However, both of our participant samples had higher levels of ACEs than the US national average, indicating that more research would be needed to determine if this finding generalizes to populations with lower levels of adverse childhood experiences.
期刊介绍:
Underpinned by a biopsychosocial approach, the Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma presents original research and prevention and treatment strategies for understanding and dealing with symptoms and disorders related to the psychological effects of trauma experienced by children and adolescents during childhood and where the impact of these experiences continues into adulthood. The journal also examines intervention models directed toward the individual, family, and community, new theoretical models and approaches, and public policy proposals and innovations. In addition, the journal promotes rigorous investigation and debate on the human capacity for agency, resilience and longer-term healing in the face of child and adolescent trauma. With a multidisciplinary approach that draws input from the psychological, medical, social work, sociological, public health, legal and education fields, the journal features research, intervention approaches and evidence-based programs, theoretical articles, specific review articles, brief reports and case studies, and commentaries on current and/or controversial topics. The journal also encourages submissions from less heard voices, for example in terms of geography, minority status or service user perspectives.
Among the topics examined in the Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma:
The effects of childhood maltreatment
Loss, natural disasters, and political conflict
Exposure to or victimization from family or community violence
Racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation or class discrimination
Physical injury, diseases, and painful or debilitating medical treatments
The impact of poverty, social deprivation and inequality
Barriers and facilitators on pathways to recovery
The Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma is an important resource for practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and academics whose work is centered on children exposed to traumatic events and adults exposed to traumatic events as children.