Identifying subgroups of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in adult general hospital attendees: associations with mental and physical health measures.

BACKGROUND

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to negative mental and physical health outcomes. While increased ACE exposure often correlates with worse health outcomes, specific combinations of ACEs may heighten the risk for certain conditions and diseases.

METHOD: Participants (n = 2642) attending inpatient and outpatient departments at an Austrian university hospital provided self-reported measures of physical and mental health, along with retrospective assessments of ACEs. Latent class analysis was utilized to identify subgroups of individuals with co-occurring ACEs. Logistic regression models were employed to investigate the associations between ACE clusters and the prevalence of physical and mental health conditions.

RESULTS

Six classes were identified, with the majority of individuals falling into the 'minimal ACEs' class. However, other groups reported specific ACEs such as 'peer-bullying', 'home-neglect', and 'physical abuse', while two groups experienced a variety of ACEs ('parent abuse and neglect' and 'parental and peer bullying'). Classes were differentially associated with the likelihood of reporting specific mental and physical conditions, with higher odds ratios observed in groups endorsing higher ACEs.

CONCLUSIONS

This exploratory analysis found that different ACE constellations were associated with varying risks of specific mental and physical health conditions. Identifying individuals within particular ACE clusters could help inform preventive strategies and improve adult health outcomes.