ArticleJournal of research in personality2020
The Association between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Personality, Emotions and Affect: Does Number and Type of Experiences Matter?
Article in Journal of research in personality, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed.
- Associations Between Different Subtypes of Adverse Childhood Experiences with Reproductive Mood Disorders-a Scoping Review.Current psychiatry reports · 2026Article
- Relationships among highly sensitive personality (HSP), neuroticism, mental health, neurodevelopmental traits, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2026Article
- Difficulties following naturalistic psychedelic use and associations with adverse childhood experiences.The International journal on drug policy · 2026Article
- Personality as mechanism: An integrative model of five-factor model personality traits as a mechanism between earlier life factors and cognitive aging.Current opinion in psychology · 2025Review
- Retention Challenges in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment: The Role of Comorbid Psychological Conditions.The western journal of emergency medicine · 2025Article
- Exploring the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms among Jordanian Adolescents: A Network Analysis Approach.The Psychiatric quarterly · 2025Article
- Adverse childhood experiences and their differential relationships with transdiagnostic mental health outcomes in young adults.Psychological medicine · 2025Article
- Adverse childhood experiences and their influence on psychological well-being and emotional intelligence among university students.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Effects of adverse childhood experiences and personal resilience on household emergency preparedness: considerations for disaster planning.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- The association between cumulative adverse childhood experiences and ultra-processed food addiction is moderated by substance use disorder history among adults seeking outpatient nutrition counseling.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Early Childhood Adversity Predicts Risk of Family Caregiver Suicidal Ideation:Roles of Neuroticism and Self-Compassion.Research square · 2024Article
- Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Young Adults and Adults: A Systematic Literature Review.Pediatric reports · 2024Review
- Article
- The impact of Benevolent Childhood Experiences on adult Flourishing: the mediating role of Light Triad traits.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- The Consequences of Child Abuse.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Health among Students Seeking Psychological Counseling Services.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- The effects of adverse childhood experiences on depression and suicidal behaviors are partially mediated by neuroticism: A subclinical manifestation of major depression.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
- Adverse Childhood Experiences, Personality, and Crime: Distinct Associations among a High-Risk Sample of Institutionalized Youth.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Developmental trauma: Conceptual framework, associated risks and comorbidities, and evaluation and treatment.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThere is strong evidence that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively impact mental health. However, the association between ACEs and personality, emotions and affect are poorly understood. Therefore, we examined the association between composite ACE score and ACE type and personality, emotions and positive and negative affect.
methodsThree waves of data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study were used. ACE was the primary independent correlate. Covariates included demographic variables and survey wave. Outcome variables included generativity, personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, openness, agency), and affect (positive, negative.) Statistical analyses included 3 approaches: 1) treatment of ACE as dichotomous, 2) ordinal composite of ACE score, and 3) three individual ACE type components to assess the association between ACE and psychological constructs.
resultsOf 6,323 adults in the sample, 53% were female, and 56% had a past ACE. In the adjusted analyses, dichotomized ACE was significantly associated with neuroticism (β=0.10; 95% CI 0.07, 0.13) and conscientiousness (β=-0.03; 95% CI -0.05, -0.01). All ACE scores were significantly and positively associated with neuroticism and negatively associated with conscientiousness. Abuse was significantly associated with neuroticism (β=0.20; 95% CI 0.16, 0.24), openness (β=0.08; 95% CI 0.05, 0.11), conscientiousness (β=-0.05; 95% CI -0.08, -0.02), and agency (β=0.06; 95% CI 0.02, 0.10). All ACE categories, except financial strain, were significantly associated with affect.
conclusionACEs are significantly associated with personality, emotions, and affect, with greater effect seen at higher ACE scores and with ACE abuse type, which helps support the cumulative risk hypothesis and our study hypothesis. There is a need for continued research to understand the mechanistic processes and the directionality of the association between ACEs, emotions, and behaviors to help continue to drive biopsychosocial interventions.
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