Parental Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in an Early Childhood Mental Health Outpatient Clinic in Germany: Prevalence and Associations with Child Psychiatric Diagnoses
Analysis shows associations between parental adverse childhood experiences and mental health disorders in preschool children, highlighting urgent needs for targeted interventions.
Key Points
Adjustment disorder was significantly correlated with parental neglect, emphasizing the impact of childhood adversity on child mental health.
An average of 2.38 parental adverse childhood experiences was reported, with 68.1% of caregivers noting at least one ACE.
Assessment was performed using the ACE questionnaire, connecting parental trauma to child psychiatric diagnoses using the DC:0–5 system.
Findings underline the need for larger studies to further explore the intergenerational transmission of adverse experiences in early childhood.