Kovács-Tóth Beáta, Oláh Barnabás, Papp Gábor, Szabó Ildikó Kuritárné
Department of Behavioural Sciences, University of Debrecen Faculty of Medicine, Nagyerdei krt. 98, POB. 45, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary.
Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2021 Feb 22;15(1):12. doi: 10.1186/s13034-021-00365-7.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can have lifelong adverse impacts; they can play a role in the development of subsequent emotional, cognitive, and social impairments leading to somatic and mental difficulties, as well as health damaging behaviours. Unfortunately, there are currently no research data available in Hungary regarding the frequency of ACEs among adolescents.
A cross sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in a community sample of Hungarian adolescents to assess the frequency of ACEs and analyse their association with current social, emotional, and behavioural symptoms (SEB), and subjective health complaints (SHC).
Demographic data, ACEs, SEB and SHC status of 516 adolescents aged 12 to 17 were collected. ACEs were assessed using the ACE Score Calculator; for SEB the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and for SHC some specific items from the Health Behaviour of School Children questionnaire were employed. To analyse the relationship of ACEs to SEB and SHC logistic regression was performed.
Our results showed that the frequency of ACEs, SEB and SHC is high among adolescents. One-fourth of the students reported ≥ 2 categories of childhood exposures, and 7.4% reported having experienced ≥ 4 types of ACEs. The most prevalent forms of child maltreatment were emotional neglect (15.5%) and emotional abuse (14.5%). The most frequent dysfunctional household condition was parental divorce or separation (23.8%), followed by household substance abuse (8.9%) and household mental illness (8.1%). Almost one-fifth of students (17.5%) reported SEB symptoms (peer relationship problems in 21.7%, emotional symptoms in 14.6%, conduct problems in 18.3%, hyperactivity in 15%). The prevalence of SHC was also high: more than half of the students experienced at least one subjective health complaint multiple times a week. Significant associations were found between ACEs and the SEB/SHC reported by students.
Adverse childhood experiences, social, emotional, and behavioural symptoms, and SHC are common among Hungarian adolescents. The cumulation of ACEs is associated with a higher number of SEB and SHC symptoms. Therefore, prevention programmes, early recognition, risk reduction, and therapy are needed.
童年不良经历(ACEs)会产生终身的不良影响;它们会在随后导致躯体和心理问题以及损害健康行为的情绪、认知和社会障碍的发展中起作用。不幸的是,匈牙利目前没有关于青少年中ACEs发生率的研究数据。
对匈牙利青少年社区样本进行横断面问卷调查,以评估ACEs的发生率,并分析其与当前社会、情绪和行为症状(SEB)以及主观健康问题(SHC)之间的关联。
收集了516名12至17岁青少年的人口统计学数据、ACEs、SEB和SHC状况。使用ACE评分计算器评估ACEs;对于SEB,使用长处和困难问卷,对于SHC,采用儿童健康行为问卷中的一些特定项目。为了分析ACEs与SEB和SHC之间的关系,进行了逻辑回归分析。
我们的结果表明,青少年中ACEs、SEB和SHC的发生率很高。四分之一的学生报告有≥2类童年暴露经历,7.4%的学生报告经历过≥4种类型的ACEs。最常见的儿童虐待形式是情感忽视(15.5%)和情感虐待(14.5%)。最常见的功能失调家庭状况是父母离婚或分居(23.8%),其次是家庭药物滥用(8.9%)和家庭精神疾病(8.1%)。近五分之一的学生(17.5%)报告有SEB症状(同伴关系问题占21.7%,情绪症状占14.6%,行为问题占18.3%,多动占15%)。SHC的患病率也很高:超过一半的学生每周至少多次经历至少一种主观健康问题。在ACEs与学生报告的SEB/SHC之间发现了显著关联。
童年不良经历、社会、情绪和行为症状以及SHC在匈牙利青少年中很常见。ACEs的累积与更多的SEB和SHC症状相关。因此,需要预防计划、早期识别、降低风险和治疗。