IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v70y2024i3p445-456.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Adverse childhood experiences in mental health of young adults: An exploratory study from Delhi-NCR, India

Author

Listed:
  • Vineet Chaudhary
  • Gagandeep Kaur Walia
  • Naorem Kiranmala Devi
  • Lokesh Singh Shekhawat
  • Kallur Nava Saraswathy

Abstract

Background: Despite the growing realization regarding the importance of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in adult health outcomes, this area of research has received little scientific attention in low- and middle-income countries, including India. Aims: To understand the overall and domain-specific association of exposure to ACEs with current depression, anxiety, stress, and well-being among young adults of Delhi-NCR. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 1,812 young adults (aged 18–25 years) of both sexes (68.7% females). Fieldwork was conducted on the campuses of the University of Delhi, Delhi, and Amity University, Noida, India. ACEs, depression, anxiety, stress, and well-being were screened using the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, and WHO-5 Well-Being Index, respectively. Results: Exposure to ACEs was found to increase the odds of moderate/severe depression, moderate/severe anxiety, and high stress and decreased the odds of good well-being in a dose-response manner. Being bullied, followed by emotional abuse, was associated with the highest odds of current moderate/severe depression, moderate/severe anxiety, and high stress and the lowest odds of good well-being. Further, while several domains of household dysfunction showed poor association with studied mental health outcomes, domains of abuse and violence were more consistently associated. Conclusions: The present study revealed the detrimental impact of ACEs on mental health outcomes among young adults of Delhi-NCR, India, and underscored the relevance of ACEs in the Indian context. Considering the lack of trauma awareness in Indian societies, there is an urgent need to create widespread awareness regarding ACEs and associated health implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Vineet Chaudhary & Gagandeep Kaur Walia & Naorem Kiranmala Devi & Lokesh Singh Shekhawat & Kallur Nava Saraswathy, 2024. "Adverse childhood experiences in mental health of young adults: An exploratory study from Delhi-NCR, India," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 70(3), pages 445-456, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:70:y:2024:i:3:p:445-456
    DOI: 10.1177/00207640231214986
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640231214986
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00207640231214986?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Negriff, Sonya, 2020. "ACEs are not equal: Examining the relative impact of household dysfunction versus childhood maltreatment on mental health in adolescence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sayyah, Madison D. & Merrick, Jillian S. & Larson, Matthew D. & Narayan, Angela J., 2022. "Childhood adversity subtypes and young adulthood mental health problems: Unpacking effects of maltreatment, family dysfunction, and peer victimization," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    2. Trinidad, Jose Eos, 2021. "Social consequences and contexts of adverse childhood experiences," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    3. Wolf, Jennifer Price & Freisthler, Bridget & McCarthy, Karla Shockley, 2021. "Parenting in poor health: Examining associations between parental health, prescription drug use, and child maltreatment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    4. Nicole Letourneau & Lubna Anis & Jason Novick & Carrie Pohl & Henry Ntanda & Martha Hart, 2023. "Impacts of the Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH TM ) Parenting Program on Mothers and Their Children at Risk of Maltreatment: Phase 2 Results," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-20, February.
    5. Ingyu Moon & Junghee Han, 2022. "Moderating Effects of Physical Activity on the Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health-Related Quality of Life," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-18, January.
    6. Daniel K Cooper & Mayra Bámaca-Colbert & Eric K Layland & Emily G Simpson & Benjamin L Bayly, 2021. "Puerto Ricans and Mexican immigrants differ in their psychological responses to patterns of lifetime adversity," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(10), pages 1-22, October.
    7. Phillip Yang & Brian S Hernandez & Kristen A Plastino, 2023. "Social determinants of mental health and adolescent anxiety and depression: Findings from the 2018 to 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 69(3), pages 795-798, May.
    8. Rebekah Lydia Miriam Amos & Katie Cresswell & Karen Hughes & Mark A. Bellis, 2023. "ACEtimation—The Combined Effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Violence, Health-Harming Behaviors, and Mental Ill-Health: Findings across England and Wales," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(17), pages 1-13, August.
    9. Anne Nolan & Smyth, Emer, 2021. "Risk and protective factors for mental health and wellbeing in childhood and adolescence," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS120.
    10. Li, Xiaofei & Huebner, E. Scott & Tian, Lili, 2021. "Vicious cycle of emotional maltreatment and bullying perpetration/victimization among early adolescents: Depressive symptoms as a mediator," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:70:y:2024:i:3:p:445-456. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.