Adverse childhood experiences and their differential relationships with transdiagnostic mental health outcomes in young adults

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor mental health outcomes, which are increasingly conceptualized from a transdiagnostic perspective. We examined the impact of ACEs on transdiagnostic mental health outcomes in young adulthood and explored potential effect modification. We included participants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children with prospectively measured data on ACEs from infancy till age 16 as well as mental health outcomes at ages 18 and 24. Exposures included emotional neglect, bullying, and physical, sexual or emotional abuse. The outcome was a pooled transdiagnostic Stage of 1b (subthreshold but clinically significant symptoms) or greater..