Gemeinschaftsmedizin und Gesundheitserziehung

Abstrakt

The Relationship between Self-Reported Adult Impact of Adverse Childhood Events and Health-Related Quality of Life

David A Graeber, Deborah L Helitzer, Marianna La Noue and Jan Fawcett

Childhood maltreatment has become a widespread public health problem that can have life-long impact, according to the National Center of Child Abuse and Neglect. The literature is replete with epidemiologic and co relational research about the relationship between adverse childhood events (ACE’s) and a wide range of negative health and mental health outcomes. Anecdotal evidence suggests that only some individuals who experience ACE’s follow a trajectory of poor outcomes, and not all individuals perceive the impact of ACE’s as necessarily negative. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between individual’s current perceived impact of ACE in adulthood and health related quality of life (HRQL). Self-report data on ACE experiences, including number, severity, and ‘impact’ were collected from 154 community members recruited on the basis of having adverse childhood experiences that might affect adult health related quality of life. Results indicated that, regardless of the number of different types of adverse events experienced, high levels of perceived impact and the rating of this impact as negative or positive were strong predictors of current HRQL. Participants with high levels of perceived negative impact of ACE in adulthood had significantly lower levels of HRQL. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.