Department of Social Work, University of Northern Iowa, 1227 W 27th St, Sabin Hall 257, Cedar Falls, IA 50614, United States.
Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, United States.
Child Abuse Negl. 2020 Oct;108:104658. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104658. Epub 2020 Aug 12.
International interest in adverse childhood experiences (ACE) is on the rise. In China, recent research has explored the effects of ACEs on health-related outcomes, but little is known about how ACEs impact the psychological functioning of rural Chinese youth as they make transition to adulthood.
This study is aimed to assess the prevalence and psychological consequences of ACEs among a group of rural Chinese young adults.
1019 rural high school graduates from three different provinces of China participated in this study.
A web-based survey was used to assess ten conventional ACEs and seven other novel ACEs using the Childhood Experiences Survey. Using validated brief measures, six indicators of psychological functioning were assessed: anxiety, depression, perceived stress, posttraumatic stress, loneliness, and suicidality. Descriptive and correlational analyses of all ACEs were performed, and multivariate regressions were conducted to test associations between ACEs and study outcomes.
Three-fourths of Chinese youth endorsed at least one of ten conventional ACEs. The most prevalent ACEs were physical abuse (52.3 %) and domestic violence (43.2 %). Among seven new adversities, prolonged parental absence (37.4 %) and parental gambling problems (19.7 %) were most prevalent. Higher conventional ACEs scores were significantly associated with poorer psychological functioning, and each type of new adversity was associated with one or more psychological problems.
ACEs were prevalent among rural Chinese young adults and had deleterious effects on their psychological well-being. Further work is needed to address ACEs by developing culturally appropriate assessment practices, interventions, and policy responses.
国际上对不良儿童经历（ACE）的兴趣日益浓厚。在中国，最近的研究探讨了 ACE 对健康相关结果的影响，但对于 ACE 如何影响农村中国青年在向成年过渡时的心理功能知之甚少。
本研究旨在评估一组农村中国青年中 ACE 的发生率和心理后果。
来自中国三个不同省份的 1019 名农村高中毕业生参加了这项研究。
使用基于网络的调查，使用儿童经历调查评估了十种传统 ACE 和七种其他新型 ACE。使用经过验证的简短措施，评估了六个心理功能指标：焦虑、抑郁、感知压力、创伤后应激、孤独和自杀倾向。对所有 ACE 进行描述性和相关性分析，并进行多元回归以测试 ACE 与研究结果之间的关联。
四分之三的中国青年至少经历过十种传统 ACE 中的一种。最常见的 ACE 是身体虐待（52.3%）和家庭暴力（43.2%）。在七种新逆境中，父母长期缺席（37.4%）和父母赌博问题（19.7%）最为普遍。较高的传统 ACE 得分与较差的心理功能显著相关，每种新逆境都与一种或多种心理问题相关。
ACE 在农村中国青年中很普遍，对他们的心理健康有不良影响。需要进一步努力通过开发文化上适当的评估实践、干预措施和政策应对来解决 ACE 问题。
