Mental health trajectories over the COVID-19 pandemic among young adults reporting adverse childhood experiences.

Background: Higher exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has been shown to worsen the effect of COVID-19 stress on mental health problems in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic among young adults. This study extends that research by examining depression, anxiety, hostility, and perceived stress trajectories across successive phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in a prospective, multi-wave panel study using data collected pre-COVID-19 pandemic onset, Early pandemic, Peak pandemic, and Post-Peak pandemic. Methods: The baseline data come from the Niagara Longitudinal Heart Study (NLHS) and the three COVID-19 waves come from a sub-study of the NLHS examining the specific impact of the pandemic. Using a Bayesian multivariate mixed-model regression framework, 171 participants who responded to at least one wave of the COVID-19 sub-study were included. Results: Participants with higher ACE scores and high COVID-19 stress had elevated trajectories of several poor mental health measures that stayed higher than other groups across all waves of data collection. Discussion: Young adults who reported higher ACEs were more susceptible to subsequent stress exposure, highlighting a specific, high-risk group who may benefit from targeted intervention programs during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.