The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Adult Emotional Distress: A Comprehensive Analysis

The rise of emotional distress globally highlights the need for a better understanding of its underlying causes. One well-established risk factor are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Existing research indicates that while all types of ACEs generally increase the risk for emotional distress, emotional abuse and neglect might be especially predictive. However, ACEs often co-occur, and it remains unclear if specific relationships can be observed when interelations are accounted for. This study investigated whether all types of ACEs are significantly associated with emotional distress, and weather emotional abuse and neglect will have the strongest association with each type. To assess this, 57 participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Multiple regression were conducted to assess the individual relationships of ACEs with the types of emotional distress. The analyses revealed that emotional abuse was significantly associated with stress, while physical abuse was significantly associated with anxiety. These findings highlight that differential associations between ACEs and types of emotional distress exist, suggesting a need for targeted interventions. Future studies should use longitudinal designs to better understand these relationships, increase sample sizes for greater statistical power, and include a more diverse range of participants.