Peer-reviewed article
A Systematic Review of the Psychometric Quality of Instruments for Assessing Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Sanchis LC, Colorado Lluch MI, Martí-Vilar M, González-Sala F ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This systematic review evaluated the quality of questionnaires used to measure adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) across different populations. The researchers analyzed 20 studies examining various ACE measurement instruments using established quality guidelines. Most instruments showed adequate internal consistency, but many lacked rigorous testing of other important properties like responsiveness and measurement error. The ACE-IQ emerged as having the strongest evidence of quality across different settings.
Key points
- Most available ACE instruments demonstrated good psychometric properties overall
- Internal consistency was generally adequate across instruments
- Important measurement properties like responsiveness and measurement error were rarely evaluated
- Studies predominantly used young female samples, limiting generalizability
- The ACE-IQ showed the strongest evidence supporting its psychometric properties across different contexts
Limitations
This review does not provide evidence about the effectiveness of any interventions to address ACEs, nor does it evaluate how well these instruments predict real-world outcomes for children. It only assesses the technical quality of the measurement tools themselves.
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The study of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has become increasingly important due to its impact on the physical and mental health throughout life. The aim of this study is to assess the psychometric quality of the instruments used to measure ACEs, following the COSMIN guidelines for reviewing patient-reported outcome measures. Methods: A PRISMA-adherent systematic search of scientific databases was conducted to identify empirical studies analysing the psychometric properties of ACE questionnaires used with children, adolescents, and adults. Ultimately, 20 studies were included, covering various instruments such as the ACE-10, ACE-Q, ACE-SQ, ACE-IQ, SC-ACE-IQ, ACE-IQ-10 and the ACE-THL. Results: The results show heterogeneous psychometric evidence. Whilst properties such as internal consistency generally show adequate results, other dimensions, such as responsiveness or measurement error, are scarcely evaluated. Furthermore, methodological limitations were identified, such as the predominant use of young female samples and the lack of longitudinal studies. Conclusions: In conclusion, most available ACE instruments demonstrate good psychometric properties, with the ACE-IQ being the one with the strongest evidence supporting these properties across different contexts.