TY - JOUR

T1 - Sources of childhood and adult resilience and their impact on harms associated with adverse childhood experiences

AU - Hughes, Karen

AU - Ford, Katharine

AU - Bellis, Mark

PY - 2018/11/1

Y1 - 2018/11/1

N2 - Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; i.e. childmaltreatment, household dysfunction) have wide-reachingimpacts and are strong predictors of poor outcomes in adults.However, many individuals who experience ACEs avoid orovercome their associated problems. The factors which effectivelypromote resilience against ACEs are still largelyunknown.Objective This research sought to understand what contributesto an individual’s resilience and how much resilience offersprotection from the negative effects of ACEs.Methods A face-to-face household survey was conducted with2 497 residents aged 18–69 in Wales, United Kingdom, fromMarch-June 2017. The survey explored: exposure to 11ACEs; access to childhood and adult resilience resources,health-related behaviours and health outcomes.Findings Half of all adults reported at least one ACE, 14%had four or more. ACEs were strongly associated with worsehealth outcomes, for example, individuals with 4+ACEs werefour times more likely to report current mental illness, sixtimes more likely to report lifetime mental illness and overnine times more likely to have ever felt suicidal or selfharmed.Childhood and adulthood resilience were associatedwith better health outcomes in those both with and withoutACEs. Resilience resources associated with lower levels ofmental illness included, in childhood: sports participation andhaving a trusted adult relationship; and as adults: sports/communitygroup participation, enjoying culture/traditions, financialsecurity, and higher perceived support from public servicesand employers.Conclusion and policy implications ACEs are common and representa significantly increased risk of poor health across thelife-course. Supporting individuals affected by childhood adversityis vital to improve population health. Building resiliencecan moderate the increased risk to health that ACEs pose.However, resilience resources do not entirely counter ACErelatedharms, thus work should be directed at the preventionof ACEs to ensure the provision of positive childhood environmentsfor future generations.

AB - Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; i.e. childmaltreatment, household dysfunction) have wide-reachingimpacts and are strong predictors of poor outcomes in adults.However, many individuals who experience ACEs avoid orovercome their associated problems. The factors which effectivelypromote resilience against ACEs are still largelyunknown.Objective This research sought to understand what contributesto an individual’s resilience and how much resilience offersprotection from the negative effects of ACEs.Methods A face-to-face household survey was conducted with2 497 residents aged 18–69 in Wales, United Kingdom, fromMarch-June 2017. The survey explored: exposure to 11ACEs; access to childhood and adult resilience resources,health-related behaviours and health outcomes.Findings Half of all adults reported at least one ACE, 14%had four or more. ACEs were strongly associated with worsehealth outcomes, for example, individuals with 4+ACEs werefour times more likely to report current mental illness, sixtimes more likely to report lifetime mental illness and overnine times more likely to have ever felt suicidal or selfharmed.Childhood and adulthood resilience were associatedwith better health outcomes in those both with and withoutACEs. Resilience resources associated with lower levels ofmental illness included, in childhood: sports participation andhaving a trusted adult relationship; and as adults: sports/communitygroup participation, enjoying culture/traditions, financialsecurity, and higher perceived support from public servicesand employers.Conclusion and policy implications ACEs are common and representa significantly increased risk of poor health across thelife-course. Supporting individuals affected by childhood adversityis vital to improve population health. Building resiliencecan moderate the increased risk to health that ACEs pose.However, resilience resources do not entirely counter ACErelatedharms, thus work should be directed at the preventionof ACEs to ensure the provision of positive childhood environmentsfor future generations.

U2 - 10.1136/injuryprevention-2018-safety.304

DO - 10.1136/injuryprevention-2018-safety.304

M3 - Article

VL - 24

SP - A110

JO - Injury Prevention

JF - Injury Prevention

SN - 1475-5785

IS - Supplement 2

ER -