Troxel Wendy M, Seelam Rachana, Perez Lilian G, Davis Jordan, D'Amico Elizabeth J
RAND Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA.
J Community Psychol. 2025 May;53(4):e70011. doi: 10.1002/jcop.70011.
Social safety theory suggests that individuals from minoritized racial and ethnic groups or sexual and gender diverse (SGD) groups are exposed to multilevel and interacting stressors, which can set the stage for adverse health outcomes. Using a social safety framework, we examine interactions between discrimination and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on health outcomes and how these interactions may differ by race and ethnicity or SGD status among young adults. An online survey with 2287 young adults (mean age = 25.8 years; 55.5% female) assessed ACEs and interpersonal discrimination and sleep quality, problematic alcohol or cannabis use, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Linear regression analyses tested interactions between ACEs and discrimination in relation to the outcomes among the overall sample and stratified by race and ethnicity or SGD status. In the overall sample, there was one significant interaction between ACEs and discrimination, such that those experiencing both greater exposure to ACEs and greater discrimination reported higher PTSD scores. Race-stratified models showed that among people of color experiencing high levels of ACEs, greater discrimination was associated with greater PTSD scores. SGD-stratified models showed that for problematic alcohol use and PTSD there was a significant interaction between ACEs and discrimination only among non-SGD participants. Consistent with social safety theory, findings highlight the potential health consequences of experiencing both discrimination and childhood adverse experiences. Intervention efforts are needed to help young people increase coping skills and other strategies to promote resilience when experiencing major life stressors.
社会安全理论表明，来自少数族裔或性取向及性别多元（SGD）群体的个体面临多层次且相互作用的压力源，这可能为不良健康后果埋下伏笔。运用社会安全框架，我们研究了歧视与童年不良经历（ACEs）对健康结果的相互作用，以及这些相互作用在青年成年人中可能因种族和族裔或SGD身份而存在的差异。一项针对2287名青年成年人（平均年龄 = 25.8岁；55.5%为女性）的在线调查评估了ACEs、人际歧视以及睡眠质量、酒精或大麻使用问题和创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状。线性回归分析测试了ACEs与歧视之间在总体样本以及按种族和族裔或SGD身份分层后的结果方面的相互作用。在总体样本中，ACEs与歧视之间存在一个显著的相互作用，即那些同时经历更多ACEs和更多歧视的人报告的PTSD得分更高。按种族分层的模型显示，在经历高水平ACEs的有色人种中，更大的歧视与更高的PTSD得分相关。按SGD分层的模型显示，对于酒精使用问题和PTSD，只有在非SGD参与者中，ACEs与歧视之间才存在显著的相互作用。与社会安全理论一致，研究结果突出了同时经历歧视和童年不良经历可能对健康产生的潜在后果。需要开展干预措施，帮助年轻人在经历重大生活压力源时提高应对技能和其他促进恢复力的策略。
