Patterns of Early Childhood Adversity Predict Challenges in Early Adolescence

• In Event: Informing Prevention and Intervention Programs targeting Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Abstract

Unfortunately, childhood adversity (e.g., abuse, neglect, parent depression, parent substance use) is not uncommon with nearly half of all children in the United States experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), with even higher rates among economically-disadvantaged families (CAHMI, 2019). While long-term impacts of ACEs are well-established (e.g., Boullier & Blair, 2018) less is known regarding how unique combinations of ACEs impact development. This gap in the literature stems from how ACEs have often been assessed, where a variable representing the total number of ACEs is created and regression analyses are conducted examining number of ACEs and an outcome (e.g., Racine et al., 2020). While this approach is valuable, particularly as ACEs have been shown to accumulate (Schroeder et al., 2018), it is limited as it statistically treats all ACEs as having an equal impact on outcomes, which has been shown to not always be the case (Thompson et al., 2019). An alternative approach, taken in the current study, would be to identify unique combinations of ACEs using latent profile analysis (LPA) and examine how these combinations impact development.
Data came from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) which has followed a large sample of children and families throughout childhood in the United Kingdom (N = 19,231). LPA indicators came from parent reports when children were nine months old (Sweep1), three-years-old (Sweep2), and five-years-old (Sweep3). LPA indicators of adversity included: maternal depression (Sweeps 1-3), alcohol use in pregnancy, parents’ weekly alcohol use (Sweeps 2 & 3), parents’ substance use (Sweeps 2 & 3), and socio-economic status (SES) decile (Sweeps 1-3). Outcome data was collected from participants and their parents when participants were fourteen-years-old. Adolescents reported depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and marijuana use. Parents completed the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 2001).
A six-profile LPA solution was selected (Table 1). Two profiles demonstrated an absence of ACEs but differed on economic deprivation (Low Risk, Economically Advantaged and Low Risk, Economic Deprivation). Two classes had higher probabilities of mothers’ alcohol consumption in pregnancy and after their child was born but differed from one another on SES decile (Middle Class, Drinkers and Wealthy, Drinkers). The Extreme Economic Deprivation profile was consistently in the lowest SES decile and Depression with Alcohol and Substance Use had high rates of mother depressive symptoms and alcohol and substance use. Weighted regressions were conducted examining the impact of profile membership on young adolescent outcomes (Table 2). Not surprisingly, children from the Depression with Alcohol and Substance Use profile had consistently poorer adolescent outcomes than other children. In addition, children from the Middle Class, Drinkers and Wealthy, Drinkers were more likely to have started drinking themselves. Finally, children from the more economically-deprived profiles consistently had worse social-emotional outcomes in adolescence, underlying the accruing impact of experiencing economic-disadvantage in early childhood. Taken in concert, these results indicate that while an accumulation of ACEs can have dramatic downstream effects, patterns of ACEs may carry different implications for adolescent wellbeing.

Authors

• Zhenyu Zhang, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

• Benjamin L Bayly, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
  Presenting Author