Peer-reviewed article
Prevalence, socio-demographic correlates and associations of adverse childhood experiences with mental illnesses: Results from the Singapore Mental Health Study
Mythily Subramaniam, Edimansyah Abdin, Esmond Seow, Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar, Saleha Shafie et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their links to mental health problems in Singapore using a nationwide survey of 6,126 adults. Nearly 64% of participants reported experiencing at least one ACE. People who experienced ACEs had significantly higher rates of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and alcohol use disorders. The findings highlight that ACEs are common even in developed Asian countries and suggest the need for trauma-informed policies and programs.
Key points
- Lifetime prevalence of any ACE was 63.9% among Singapore residents aged 18 and older
- ACE odds were 1.7 times higher in those aged 65+ and 2.2 times higher in those with primary education or below
- Any ACE was associated with 3.7 times higher odds of mood disorders and 3.9 times higher odds of anxiety disorders
- ACE presence was associated with 1.7 times higher odds of alcohol use disorders
- Study emphasizes need for trauma-informed communities incorporating early trauma impacts into policies
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study, so it cannot establish causation between ACEs and mental health outcomes—only association. The study relies on retrospective self-reporting of childhood experiences, which may be subject to recall bias and underreporting.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with deleterious consequences throughout the lifespan of the individual, including an increased risk of mental disorders. However, an in-depth understanding of ACEs in diverse populations is still lacking especially in Asian populations, with few studies done at a population level. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to establish the (i) prevalence of ACEs and its socio-demographic correlates, and, (ii) association of ACEs with mental disorders and suicidality in a multiethnic Asian country. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Singapore residents aged 18 years and older were recruited from the community as part of a nation-wide cross-sectional epidemiological study. METHODS: Trained interviewers conducted face-to-face interviews with participants, and administered the Adverse Childhood Experiences - International Questionnaire and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. RESULTS: A total of 6126 participants completed the survey. The lifetime prevalence of ACEs in the sample was 63.9 %. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that odds of any ACE were higher among those above 65 years (OR = 1.7) and those without university education (OR = 2.2, 1.9, and 1.5 among those with primary and below, secondary and vocational education respectively). The presence of any ACE was significantly associated with increased odds of mood (OR = 3.7, 95 % CI: 2.3-6.0), anxiety (OR = 3.9, 95 % CI: 2.3-6.8) and alcohol use (OR = 1.7, 95 % CI: 1.1-3.0) disorders. CONCLUSIONS: ACEs are not uncommon in Asian populations. There is a need to build trauma-informed communities that can incorporate the knowledge of the impact of early trauma into policies and programs.