Poor family finances, family-based adverse childhood experiences, and depressive and behavioral symptoms in adolescence.

Purpose: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a possible pathway through which poor family finances influences adolescents' behavioral and mental health problems. However, the interrelationship between family finances, ACEs, and behavioral and mental health outcomes in adolescence has received little attention. We aimed to (1) document exposure to family-based ACEs by perceived family finances (PFF), (2) examine how PFF relates to cumulative and pattern-based approaches to ACEs, and (3) assess the direct and interactive associations between PFF and ACEs in relation with behavioral and mental health problems.

Methods: Data stem from the 2017-2019 nationwide Ungdata surveys of adolescents aged 13-15 (n = 12,560). Family-based ACEs were measured by 6 items covering parental alcohol use and intoxication, and intra-familial violence and fighting. The family-based ACEs were used both as a cumulative index score and examined through latent class analysis (LCA) to identify patterns of exposures. Cluster robust linear regression analyses were used to examine additive and interactive associations between PFF, family-based ACEs, and behavioral and depressive symptoms.

Results: Poor (compared to not poor) PFF was significantly associated with more depressive symptoms and behavioral problems. Cumulative and pattern based approaches to family-based ACEs partially and similarly attenuated the association between PFF and mental health outcomes. Mainly, however, PFF and family-based ACEs were independently associated with mental health outcomes and did not interact.

Conclusions: Poor family finances and family-based ACEs co-occur, and both have strong associations with depressive symptoms and behavioral problems in adolescence.