Maternal adverse childhood experiences, child resilience factors, and child mental health problems: A multi-wave study.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that maternal ACEs have intergenerational consequences for offspring mental health. However, very few studies have investigated moderators of this association. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this longitudinal study was to examine whether child resilience factors moderated the association between maternal ACEs prior to age 18, and child-reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and inattention. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The current study used data from 910 mother-child dyads. Participants were recruited in pregnancy from 2008 to 2010 as part of a longitudinal cohort study. METHODS: Mothers had previously completed an ACEs questionnaire and reported on their child's resilience factors at child age 8-years. Children completed questionnaires about their mental health problems (symptoms of anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and attention problems) at ages 10 and 10.5 years. Four moderation models were performed in total. RESULTS: Results revealed that maternal ACEs predicted child-reported symptoms of anxiety (ß = 0.174, p = .02) and depression (ß = 0.37, p = .004). However, both these associations were moderated by higher levels of perceived child resilience factors (ß = -0.29, p = .02, ß = -0.33, p = .008, respectively). Specifically, there was no association between maternal ACEs and child mental health problems in the context of moderate and high levels of child resilience factors. CONCLUSIONS: Children who have the ability to solicit support from internal and external sources (e.g., being creative, setting realistic goals, making friends easily) may be buffered against the consequences of maternal ACEs on anxiety and depression. Thus, the effects of maternal ACEs on child mental health problems are not deterministic.

Strengthening Youth Emotional and Behavioral Well-Being Through Community-Academic Partnership: The EMPOWER Project.

The onset of mental health issues frequently starts during adolescence, where one third of adolescents who are 14 years and younger receive a mental health diagnosis. The state of youth mental health is a major public health concern. The EMPOWER project was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to address youth mental health. The EMPOWER project is a partnership between two after-school programs and an academic mental health hospital in Toronto, Canada, that aims to bolster youth mental well-being. In this Practice Note, we share our community-based participatory research process of how we built the EMPOWER partnership and highlight our lessons learned so far. Through EMPOWER, we aim to codesign, deliver, and evaluate a scalable, evidence-based, and community-informed youth mental wellness curriculum that will be implemented in after-school programs.

Well-being approaches targeted to improve child and youth health post-COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Our previous work synthesized published studies on well-being interventions during COVID-19. As we move into a post-COVID-19 pandemic period there is a need to comprehensively review published strategies, approaches, and interventions to improve child and youth well-being beyond deleterious impacts experienced during COVID-19. METHODS: Seven databases were searched from inception to January 2023. Studies were included if they: (1) presented original data on an approach (i.e., approach applied) or (2) provided recommendations to inform development of a future approach (i.e., approach suggested), (3) targeted to mitigate negative impacts of COVID-19 on child and youth (≤18 year) well-being, and (4) published on or after December 2019. RESULTS: 39 studies (n = 4/39, 10.3% randomized controlled trials) from 2021 to 2023 were included. Twenty-two studies applied an approach (n = 22/39, 56.4%) whereas seventeen studies (n = 17/39, 43.6%) suggested an approach; youth aged 13-18 year (n = 27/39, 69.2%) were most frequently studied. Approach applied records most frequently adopted an experimental design (n = 11/22, 50.0%), whereas approach suggested records most frequently adopted a cross-sectional design (n = 13/22, 59.1%). The most frequently reported outcomes related to good health and optimum nutrition (n = 28/39, 71.8%), followed by connectedness (n = 22/39, 56.4%), learning, competence, education, skills, and employability (n = 18/39, 46.1%), and agency and resilience (n = 16/39, 41.0%). CONCLUSIONS: The rapid onset and unpredictability of COVID-19 precluded meaningful engagement of children and youth in strategy development despite widespread recognition that early engagement can enhance usefulness and acceptability of interventions. Published or recommended strategies were most frequently targeted to improve connectedness, belonging, and socialization among children and youth.

Health Care Professionals' and Parents' Perspectives on the Use of AI for Pain Monitoring in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Multisite Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) for pain assessment has the potential to address historical challenges in infant pain assessment. There is a dearth of information on the perceived benefits and barriers to the implementation of AI for neonatal pain monitoring in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from the perspective of health care professionals (HCPs) and parents. This qualitative analysis provides novel data obtained from 2 large tertiary care hospitals in Canada and the United Kingdom. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to explore the perspectives of HCPs and parents regarding the use of AI for pain assessment in the NICU. METHODS: In total, 20 HCPs and 20 parents of preterm infants were recruited and consented to participate from February 2020 to October 2022 in interviews asking about AI use for pain assessment in the NICU, potential benefits of the technology, and potential barriers to use. RESULTS: The 40 participants included 20 HCPs (17 women and 3 men) with an average of 19.4 (SD 10.69) years of experience in the NICU and 20 parents (mean age 34.4, SD 5.42 years) of preterm infants who were on average 43 (SD 30.34) days old. Six themes from the perspective of HCPs were identified: regular use of technology in the NICU, concerns with regard to AI integration, the potential to improve patient care, requirements for implementation, AI as a tool for pain assessment, and ethical considerations. Seven parent themes included the potential for improved care, increased parental distress, support for parents regarding AI, the impact on parent engagement, the importance of human care, requirements for integration, and the desire for choice in its use. A consistent theme was the importance of AI as a tool to inform clinical decision-making and not replace it. CONCLUSIONS: HCPs and parents expressed generally positive sentiments about the potential use of AI for pain assessment in the NICU, with HCPs highlighting important ethical considerations. This study identifies critical methodological and ethical perspectives from key stakeholders that should be noted by any team considering the creation and implementation of AI for pain monitoring in the NICU.

Prevalence of Mental Health and Substance Use Difficulties Among Sexual and Gender Diverse Youth During COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Sexual and gender diverse (SGD) youth have been particularly vulnerable to mental health difficulties and substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, estimates have varied across studies pointing to the potential for moderator variables. This meta-analytic and narrative synthesis provides estimates of the prevalence of mental health difficulties (anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts) and substance use during COVID-19 among SGD youth. Methods: A comprehensive search strategy combining keywords and subject headings was designed and used across seven databases from inception to October 7, 2022. The search yielded 826 nonduplicate records of which 191 full-text articles were retrieved, evaluated, and extracted by two study authors. Data were analyzed from February 27 to March 1, 2023. Results: Using random-effects meta-analyses, 19 studies from 18 independent samples with 10,500 participants were included. Pooled prevalence rates for clinically elevated anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation were 55.4% [95% confidence interval (CI):45.9%-64.5%], 61.8% (95% CI: 50.9%-71.7%), and 50.9% (95% CI: 42.8%-59.0%). There was no evidence of publication bias. Suicide attempts and substance use were summarized narratively with rates of suicide attempts being greater than 20% across included studies and variable reporting of substance use across substance types. No moderators explained variability across studies. Conclusion: More than 50% of SGD youth experienced clinically elevated symptoms of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to prepandemic estimates for both SGD and non-SGD youth. Targeted resource allocation is needed to specifically address the needs of SGD youth.

Evaluating the use of the AMBIANCE-Brief measure in clinical settings: Assessing acceptability, feasibility, and utility of the AMBIANCE-Brief.

Community agencies and practitioners around the globe seek opportunities to learn various assessment tools and interventions rooted in attachment theory. However, information regarding the feasibility of implementation and sustainability of these tools once participants have been trained to use them, is limited. This study investigated the perceived acceptability, feasibility, utility, relevance, fidelity, and sustainability of the Atypical Maternal Behavior Instrument for Assessment and Classification-Brief (AMBIANCE-Brief) among practitioners who had taken a training. Practitioners (N = 59) who attended a virtual AMBIANCE-Brief training originating from Canada between June 2020 and November 2021 completed an online follow-up survey. Practitioners reported that they primarily used the AMBIANCE-Brief for case conceptualization (68%). Additionally, 95% agreed that the AMBIANCE-Brief was relevant to their clinical practice, 98% agreed it was useful for their clinical work, 76% agreed that it was feasible to implement into their clinical work, and 59% found it easy to incorporate into their treatment planning with clients. Findings suggest that the AMBIANCE-Brief may be acceptable, feasible, and useful for practitioners. Avenues for continuing to evaluate the AMBIANCE-Brief include cross-cultural validity, coder drift, and booster sessions. Additional work clarifying how practitioners integrate the measure into practice would be valuable.

Agencias comunitarias y profesionales de la práctica alrededor del mundo buscan oportunidades para aprender sobre varias herramientas de evaluación e intervenciones basadas en la teoría de la afectividad. Sin embargo, la información acerca de la posibilidad de implementación y sostenibilidad de estas herramientas, una vez que los participantes han sido entrenados para usarlas, es limitada. Este estudio investigó la percepción sobre la aceptabilidad, posibilidad, utilidad, relevancia, fidelidad y sostenibilidad del Instrumento de Comportamiento Materno Atípico para la Evaluación y Clasificación, versión abreviada (AMBIANCE­Abreviado) entre los profesionales de la práctica que habían recibido un entrenamiento. Los profesionales de la práctica (N = 59) que asistieron a un entrenamiento virtual de AMBIANCE­Abreviado que se originó en Canadá entre junio de 2020 y noviembre 2021, completaron en línea una encuesta de seguimiento. Los profesionales de la práctica reportaron que ellos primariamente usaban el AMBIANCE­Abreviado para el caso de conceptualización (68%). Adicionalmente, el 95% estuvo de acuerdo en que el AMBIANCE­Abreviado era relevante para su práctica clínica, 98% estuvo de acuerdo con que era útil para su trabajo clínico, 76% estuvo de acuerdo que era posible implementarlo en su trabajo clínico, y 59% lo encontraba fácil de incorporar en su plan de tratamiento con clientes. Los resultados sugieren que el AMBIANCE­Abreviado pudiera ser aceptable, posible y útil para los profesionales de la práctica. Entre las maneras para continuar evaluando el AMBIANCE­Abreviado se incluyen la validez intercultural, la variación del codificador y las sesiones de refuerzo. El trabajo adicional que clarifique cómo los profesionales integran la medida dentro de su práctica sería valioso.

Social factors associated with self-reported changes in mental health symptoms among youth in the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Children and youth experienced marked impacts on day-to-day life in the COVID-19 pandemic that were associated with poorer familial and friend relationships, and greater mental health challenges. Few studies provide self-report data on mental health symptoms from children and youth themselves. We sought to examine the associations between social factors and child and youth self-reported symptoms of worsened mood, anxiety, and irritability during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey was administered online to collect self-report data across 10 Canadian provinces among children (11-14 years) and youth (15-18 years), April-May 2022. Age-appropriate questions were based on The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health and the World Health Organization of the United Nations H6 + Technical Working Group on Adolescent Health and Well-Being consensus framework and the Coronavirus Health and Impact Survey. Associations between a priori defined social factors (e.g., relationship quality) and respondent self-reported mental health were evaluated using ordinal logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, and geographic location. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 483 (51.7%) children (11-14 years; 227, 47.0% girls) and 450 (48.3%) youth (15-18 years; 204, 45.3% girls). The parents of most children and youth had resided in Canada for over 20 years (678, 72.7%). Over one-quarter of children and youth self-identified as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (134, 27.7%; 134, 29.8%, respectively). Over one-third of children and youth self-reported symptoms of worsened mood (149, 30.9%; 125, 27.8%, respectively), anxiety (181, 37.5%; 167, 37.1%, respectively), or irritability (160, 33.1%; 160, 35.6%, respectively) during, compared to pre-pandemic. In descending order of odds ratios (OR), for children and youth, worsened familial relationships (during compared to pre-pandemic) was associated with the self-reported symptoms of worsened mood (child: OR 4.22, 95%CI 2.51-6.88; youth: OR 6.65 95%CI 3.98-11.23), anxiety (child: OR 4.24, 95%CI2.69-6.75; youth: OR 5.28, 95%CI 3.17-8.86), and irritability (child: OR 2.83, 95%CI 1.76-4.56; youth: OR 6.46, 95%CI 3.88-10.90). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported data from a nationally representative sample of children and youth suggest strong associations between social factors and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions targeting child and youth familial relationships may positively impact child and youth mental health.

Maternal postnatal depressive symptoms and early achievement of developmental milestones in infants and young children: A meta-analysis.

Screening for social determinants of health, including maternal depression, is a recommended pediatric practice. However, the magnitude of association between maternal and child screening tools remains to be determined. The current study evaluated the association between maternal postnatal depressive symptoms and child developmental milestones, as well as moderators of these associations. A comprehensive search strategy was carried out in four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, APA PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) from database inception to September 2022. Studies that examine postnatal depressive symptoms and associations with infant and early child (<6 years) achievement of developmental milestones were included. Data were extracted by two independent coders and a random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled effect sizes and test for moderators. A total of 38 non-overlapping studies (95,897 participants), all focused on maternal postnatal depression, met inclusion criteria. The pooled effect size for the association between postnatal depressive symptoms and early achievement of infant and child developmental milestones (N = 38; r = -.12; 95% CI = -.18, -.06) was small in magnitude. Child age at maternal depression measurement was a moderator, whereby effect sizes became greater for older children. Despite small effects, maternal postnatal depressive symptoms should be included in screening during routine well-child visits to enhance child development outcomes.

El examinar los determinantes sociales de la salud, incluyendo la depresión materna, es una práctica pediátrica recomendada. Sin embargo, la magnitud de la asociación entre las herramientas de examinación materna y del niño está por ser determinada. El presente estudio evaluó la asociación entre los síntomas depresivos postnatales maternos y los momentos cruciales en el desarrollo del niño, así como su papel de moderadores de estas asociaciones. Una estrategia de investigación comprensiva se llevó a cabo en cuatro bancos de datos (MEDLINE, EMBASE, APA PsycINFO, y el Registro Central Cochrane para Ensayos Controlados) desde el inicio del banco de datos hasta septiembre de 2022. Se incluyeron los estudios que examinan los síntomas depresivos postnatales y sus asociaciones con el alcance de logros de momentos cruciales del infante y del niño en su temprana niñez (<6 años). Se extrajeron los datos por medio de dos independientes codificadores y se usó un metaanálisis de efectos al azar para estimar los tamaños de efectos agrupados y examinarlos como moderadores. Un total de 38 estudios que no compartían la misma información (95,897 participantes), todos enfocados en la depresión materna postnatal, reunieron los criterios para ser incluidos. El tamaño de los efectos agrupados para la asociación entre los síntomas depresivos postnatales y el logro temprano de los momentos cruciales del infante y el niño (N = 38; r = -.12; 95% CI = -.18, -.06) fue pequeño en magnitud. La edad del niño en la medida de la depresión materna fue un moderador, por lo cual los tamaños de los efectos se hicieron mayores para los niños de mayor edad. A pesar de los pequeños efectos, los síntomas depresivos postnatales maternos deben ser incluidos en la examinación durante las visitas rutinarias de chequeos del bienestar del niño para mejorar los resultados del desarrollo del niño.

Le dépistage de déterminants sociaux de la santé, y compris la dépression maternelle, est une pratique pédiatrique recommandée. Cependant la magnitude du lien entre les outils de dépistage maternelle et de l'enfant reste indéterminée. Cette étude a évalué le lien entre les symptômes dépressifs postnatals maternels et les jalons du développement de l'enfant, ainsi que les modérateurs de ces liens. Une stratégie de recherche exhaustive a été adoptée pour quatre bases de données (MEDLINE, EMBASE, APA PsycINFO, et Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) des débuts de la base de données jusqu'à septembre 2022. Les études examinant les symptômes dépressifs postnatals et les liens avec l'atteinte des jalons de développement du nourrisson et du petit enfant (<6 ans) ont été inclues. Les données ont été extraites par deux codeurs et une méta-analyse à effets aléatoires a été utilisée afin d'estimer les tailles et tests d'effet regroupées pour les modérateurs. Un total de 38 études ne se recoupant pas (95897 participantes), toutes focalisées sur la dépression maternelle postnatale, ont rempli les critères d'inclusion. La taille d'effet regroupé pour le lien entre les symptômes dépressifs postnatales et l'atteinte précoce des jalons de développement du nourrisson et de l'enfant (N = 38; r = -,12; 95% CI = -,18, -,06) était petite en magnitude. L'âge de l'enfant à la mesure de la dépression maternelle était un modérateur, où l'ampleur de l'effet était plus grande pour les enfants plus âgés. En dépit du peu d'ampleur les symptômes dépressifs postnatals maternels devraient être inclus dans le dépistage durant les visites de routine de santé de l'enfant afin d'améliorer les résultats sur le développement de l'enfant.

A randomized waitlist control trial of the Make the Connection® online program for caregivers of infants and young children: Study protocol.

Background: A positive child-caregiver relationship is one of the strongest determinants of child health and development, yet many caregivers report challenges in establishing a positive relationship with their child. For over 20 years, Make the Connection® (MTC), an evidence-based parenting program, has been delivered in-person by child-caring professionals to over 120,000 parents to improve positive parenting behaviours and attitudes. Recently, MTC has been adapted into a 'direct to caregiver' online platform to increase scalability and accessibility. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the online modality of MTC in increasing parenting knowledge, attitudes, and the perceived relationship with their child, and to understand barriers and facilitators to its access. Methods: Two hundred caregivers with children aged 0-3 years old will be recruited through Public Health agencies in Ontario, Canada. Participants will be randomly placed in the intervention or waitlist control group. Both groups will complete a battery of questionnaires at study enrolment and 8 weeks later. The intervention group will receive the MTC online program during the 8-week period, while the waitlist group will receive the program after an 8-week wait. The study questionnaires will address demographic information, caregivers' relational attitudes towards their infant, self-competence in their caregiver role, depression, and caregiver stress, as well as caregivers' and infants' emotion regulation. Discussion: Results from this study will add critical knowledge to the development, scaling, and roll out of the MTC online program, thus increasing its capacity to reach a greater number of families. Trial registration: The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov on 15 March 2023 (NCT05770414).

A comparative effectiveness study of the breaking the cycle and Maxxine Wright intervention programs for substance-involved mothers and their children: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Children of substance-involved mothers are at especially high risk for exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and poor mental health and development. Early interventions that support mothers, children, and the mother-child relationship have the greatest potential to reduce exposure to early adversity and the mental health problems associated with these exposures. Currently, there is a lack of evidence from the real-world setting demonstrating effectiveness and return on investment for intervention programs that focus on the mother-child relationship in children of substance-involved mothers. METHODS: One hundred substance-involved pregnant and/or parenting women with children between the ages of 0-6 years old will be recruited through the Breaking the Cycle and Maxxine Wright intervention programs, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, respectively. Children's socioemotional development and exposure to risk and protective factors, mothers' mental health and history of ACEs, and mother-child relationship quality will be assessed in both intervention programs. Assessments will occur at three time points: pre-intervention, 12-, and 24-months after engagement in the intervention program. DISCUSSION: There is a pressing need to identify interventions that promote the mental health of infants and young children exposed to early adversity. Bringing together an inter-disciplinary research team and community partners, this study aligns with national strategies to establish strong evidence for infant mental health interventions that reduce child exposure to ACEs and support the mother-child relationship. This study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05768815) on March 14, 2023.

Developing non-response weights to account for attrition-related bias in a longitudinal pregnancy cohort.

BACKGROUND: Prospective cohorts may be vulnerable to bias due to attrition. Inverse probability weights have been proposed as a method to help mitigate this bias. The current study used the "All Our Families" longitudinal pregnancy cohort of 3351 maternal-infant pairs and aimed to develop inverse probability weights using logistic regression models to predict study continuation versus drop-out from baseline to the three-year data collection wave. METHODS: Two methods of variable selection took place. One method was a knowledge-based a priori variable selection approach, while the second used Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO). The ability of each model to predict continuing participation through discrimination and calibration for both approaches were evaluated by examining area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) and calibration plots, respectively. Stabilized inverse probability weights were generated using predicted probabilities. Weight performance was assessed using standardized differences of baseline characteristics for those who continue in study and those that do not, with and without weights (unadjusted estimates). RESULTS: The a priori and LASSO variable selection method prediction models had good and fair discrimination with AUROC of 0.69 (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.67-0.71) and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.71-0.75), respectively. Calibration plots and non-significant Hosmer-Lemeshow Goodness of Fit Tests indicated that both the a priori (p = 0.329) and LASSO model (p = 0.242) were well-calibrated. Unweighted results indicated large (> 10%) standardized differences in 15 demographic variables (range: 11 - 29%), when comparing those who continued in the study with those that did not. Weights derived from the a priori and LASSO models reduced standardized differences relative to unadjusted estimates, with the largest differences of 13% and 5%, respectively. Additionally, when applying the same LASSO variable selection method to develop weights in future data collection waves, standardized differences remained below 10% for each demographic variable. CONCLUSION: The LASSO variable selection approach produced robust weights that addressed non-response bias more than the knowledge-driven approach. These weights can be applied to analyses across multiple longitudinal waves of data collection to reduce bias.

Enhancing attachment-based aspects of PCIT for young children with a history of maltreatment.

Disruptive behavior difficulties, such as aggression, non-compliance, and emotional outbursts, are common among children exposed to maltreatment. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an effective parenting intervention for addressing child behavior difficulties, however, treatment retention and engagement among parents remain a concern in the clinical setting. This paper describes how the delivery of an intervention that teaches attachment theory concepts (Circle of Security-Parenting, COS-P) prior to PCIT can increase engagement and retention among parents of maltreated children and inform new coaching practices. A detailed description of how to extend and integrate COS-P concepts with PCIT for maltreated families using specific strategies is provided. Recommendations, limitations, and next steps for research are presented.

Intergenerational transmission of parent adverse childhood experiences to child outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The current meta-analytic review provides a comprehensive synthesis of studies examining parent exposure to ACEs and the developmental and mental health outcomes of their children. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Eligible studies up to August 2021 were identified through comprehensive database searches in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Embase. Studies that were included examined the intergenerational effects of parent ACEs on child development (i.e., cognitive, language, motor, social difficulties, and early social-emotional development) or mental health (i.e., internalizing problems, externalizing problems) outcomes. METHODS: Data were extracted by two coders using a standardized extraction protocol. A multi-level meta-analytic approach was used to derive pooled effect sizes and test for moderators. RESULTS: A total of 52 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Parent ACEs were positively associated with child mental health problems (r=0.17, 95% CI [0.12, 0.21], p<.001), child externalizing difficulties (r=0.20, 95% CI [0.15, 0.26], p<.001), and child internalizing difficulties (r=0.17, 95% CI [0.11, 0.22], p<.001). There were no significant sociodemographic (i.e., child age, parent age, income level, child sex, or racial/ethnic minority status) or methodological (i.e., study type or quality) moderators of these associations. Preliminary evidence suggests that parent ACEs were not associated with offspring developmental outcomes, such as cognitive or language skills. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that parent ACEs are associated with some, but not all child outcomes. Additional research focused on the mechanisms of transmission are needed to inform policies and practices related to the intergenerational transmission of ACEs.

Adverse childhood experiences: a meta-analysis of prevalence and moderators among half a million adults in 206 studies.

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including maltreatment and family dysfunction, is a major contributor to the global burden of disease and disability. With a large body of international literature on ACEs having emerged over the past 25 years, it is timely to now synthetize the available evidence to estimate the global prevalence of ACEs and, through a series of moderator analyses, determine which populations are at higher risk. We searched studies published between January 1, 1998 and August 5, 2021 in Medline, PsycINFO and Embase. Study inclusion criteria were using the 8- or 10-item ACE Questionnaire (±2 items), reporting the prevalence of ACEs in population samples of adults, and being published in English. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022348429). In total, 206 studies (208 sample estimates) from 22 countries, with 546,458 adult participants, were included. The pooled prevalence of the five levels of ACEs was: 39.9% (95% CI: 29.8-49.2) for no ACE; 22.4% (95% CI: 14.1-30.6) for one ACE; 13.0% (95% CI: 6.5-19.8) for two ACEs; 8.7% (95% CI: 3.4-14.5) for three ACEs, and 16.1% (95% CI: 8.9-23.5) for four or more ACEs. In subsequent moderation analyses, there was strong evidence that the prevalence of 4+ ACEs was higher in populations with a history of a mental health condition (47.5%; 95% CI: 34.4-60.7) and with substance abuse or addiction (55.2%; 95% CI: 45.5-64.8), as well as in individuals from low-income households (40.5%; 95% CI: 32.9-48.4) and unhoused individuals (59.7%; 95% CI: 56.8-62.4). There was also good evidence that the prevalence of 4+ ACEs was larger in minoritized racial/ethnic groups, particularly when comparing study estimates in populations identifying as Indigenous/Native American (40.8%; 95% CI: 23.1-59.8) to those identifying as White (12.1%; 95% CI: 10.2-14.2) and Asian (5.6%; 95% CI: 2.4-10.2). Thus, ACEs are common in the general population, but there are disparities in their prevalence. They are among the principal antecedent threats to individual well-being and, as such, constitute a pressing social issue globally. Both prevention strategies and downstream interventions are needed to reduce the prevalence and mitigate the severity of the effects of ACEs and thereby reduce their deleterious health consequences on future generations.

Associations between adverse childhood experiences and substance use: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can be associated with negative health outcomes such as substance use. However, extant literature assessing this association is mixed. OBJECTIVE: The present meta-analysis was conducted to obtain a pooled effect size for the association between ACEs and substance use (i.e., smoking, problematic alcohol use, heavy alcohol use, illicit drug use, and cannabis use). PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The present meta-analyses included 102 studies (N = 901,864), where 42.32 % of participants were male, and the mean age was 30.91 years. METHODS: Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO in August 2021 and moderators were examined. Inclusion criteria included studies that measured ACEs prior to age 18 and substance use, and were published in English. All analyses were completed in Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software, Version 3.0 (Borenstein et al., 2009). RESULTS: Pooled effect sizes between ACEs and smoking [OR = 1.803 (95 % CI 1.588, 2.048)], problematic alcohol use [OR = 1.812 (95 % CI 1.606, 2.044)], heavy alcohol use [OR = 1.537 (95 % CI 1.344, 1.758)], cannabis use [OR = 1.453 (95 % CI 1.184, 1.786)] and illicit drug use [OR = 1.695 (95 % CI 1.530, 1.878)] were significant. Significant moderators contribute to the understanding of the association between ACEs and substance use, and are discussed extensively. CONCLUSIONS: ACEs confer risk for substance use and trauma-informed approaches to substance use treatment should be considered. Study limitations and implications are discussed.

Codesigning a user-centred digital psychoeducational tool for youth mental well-being with families in Canada: study protocol for a sequential exploratory mixed methods study.

INTRODUCTION: On 11 March 2020, WHO declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease a global pandemic. Governments globally implemented physical distancing measures and closure of public institutions that resulted in varying implications to youth mental well-being (eg, social isolation, reduced extracurricular activities). These impacts may have detrimental short-term and long-term effects on youth mental well-being; care for youth with mental health disorders was already overstretched, underfunded and fragmented before the pandemic and youth are not often considered in mental health initiatives. There is a pressing need to partner with youth and families to target and improve youth mental well-being prior to the onset of a mental health disorder, as well as to conduct research on youth mental well-being needs related to pandemic recovery. Here we present a protocol for partnering with youth and families to codesign a user-centred digital tool for youth mental well-being. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct a national research study to develop a catalogue of recommendations specific to supporting youth mental well-being, and a digital tool to support youth mental well-being through three phases of work: (1) expert consultation on data related to supporting youth mental well-being existing within our Pandemic Preparedness Research Program; (2) codesign of an innovative digital tool for youth mental well-being; and (3) assessment of the tool's usability and acceptability. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Dalhousie Research Ethics Board (2023-6538) and the Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (23-0039). This study will complement ongoing foundational research in youth conducted by our team that involves partnering with youth and families to understand the unique implications of the pandemic on this population.