Adverse childhood experiences can lead to depression and anxiety in adulthood, study finds

Adverse childhood experiences can lead to adult symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to a new study.

The study, published in Biodemography & Social Biology, looked at 248 Iranian adults (162 women and 86 men), aged 18 to 53, recruited via social media during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The participants completed a number of online assessments, including the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) questionnaire and the Mini-K-20 scale, which assesses people’s life history strategy.

Life history theory suggests that people exposed to unstable or hostile environments in childhood often adopt a “fast” life strategy, focusing on early reproduction and risk-taking. In contrast, those in stable conditions tend to adopt “slow” strategies, emphasising long-term planning and higher parental investment.

Previous studies have suggested that fast life history strategies correlate with mental health vulnerabilities.

The researchers, both from Alzahra University in Iran, found that participants who reported higher levels of ACEs showed a greater inclination toward a “fast” life strategy, characterized by behaviours that prioritise immediate survival and adaptation to unpredictable environments. This strategy was associated with greater vulnerability to anxiety and depression symptoms in adulthood.

Both male and female participants exhibited similar patterns. The findings suggest that the mediating effect of life history strategy on the link between mental health and adverse childhood experiences is the same in the two sexes.

“The results have highlighted the importance of life history strategies in the association between childhood experiences and depression and anxiety symptoms and can be considered in the design of interventions based on the prevention of people’s vulnerability to mental disorders,” the authors wrote.

People with drug addict parents more likely to have psychiatric disorders

Research in Sweden has found that people whose parents suffered from substance use disorders are more likely to develop psychiatric disorders as adults. The risk was found to be 80% higher for males and 56% higher for females.

The study, carried out by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, looked at more than one million people born between 1981 and 1990 who lived in Sweden during their childhood and adolescence. Study participants were followed from birth until a maximum age of 25, and the study excluded individuals who died or received a psychiatric diagnosis before 18 years of age. The findings were published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

The researchers tracked whether either parent of a participant had been diagnosed with an alcohol or drug use disorder, as well as whether the participant had been diagnosed with any psychiatric disorder. Additional data included participants’ origin (native Swedish, youth migrants, or offspring of migrants), place of birth, relative poverty, parental psychiatric diagnoses other than substance use disorders, and participants’ school grades.

The study found that 4% of participants were exposed to parental substance use disorder during childhood and adolescence, and approximately 14% received a psychiatric diagnosis between 18 and 35 years of age.

Participants with parents who had substance use disorders were almost twice as likely to receive a psychiatric diagnosis. However, when researchers adjusted for factors such as relative poverty, year of birth, participants’ origin, and the size of the settlement they lived in, the increased risk was lower.

People who were exposed to parental substance use disorder between birth and the age of 12 faced a higher risk of developing psychiatric disorders compared to those exposed between ages 13 and 18. In particular, those exposed to parental substance use disorder were more than twice as likely to develop substance use disorders themselves.

“Individuals who were exposed to parental SUD [substance use disorder] before the age of 18  years had an increased risk for subsequent psychiatric disorders. These risks seemed to be somewhat higher among males and among those exposed during childhood when compared to during adolescence,” the study authors wrote.