The Influence of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Malevolent Creativity in Young Adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Childhood trauma may increase the risk of antisocial behavior in young adulthood. Our study examined the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the specific antisocial behavior of malevolent creativity (MC), the application of original ideas to purposely harm others, often to gain an unfair advantage through manipulation, threat, or harm. METHODS: We surveyed college students (N = 524; 78% women) on demographics, ACEs, empathy, social support, coping, general creativity, and malevolent creativity. The data were analyzed via sequential linear regression models. RESULTS: Reporting ≥ 4 ACEs was associated with increased MC, which remained significant when general creativity and demographics were controlled. The association between higher ACEs and MC was no longer significant when psychosocial control variables (social support, empathy, and coping) were included in the statistical model. Social support and empathy were negatively associated with MC, while coping and MC were positively associated. CONCLUSIONS: ACEs may increase the likelihood of malevolent creativity in young adulthood, but empathy and social support may disrupt this trajectory. Care should be taken that coping skills, while typically viewed as a positive addition to one's behavioral repertoire, do not push individuals toward over-reliance on themselves, which may reduce prosocial behaviors and increase MC.

Adverse childhood experiences contribute to race/ethnic differences in post-secondary academic performance among college students.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) relate to race/ethnicity and academic achievement among a sample of college students. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were students attending a large public university in the Southwest (n = 404). Methods: Online surveys captured ACE scores, demographics, and self-reported GPA. RESULTS: Students of Color had higher ACE scores and lower GPAs than White students. Regression analyses also revealed that an ACE score of 4 or higher is associated with lower GPAs, but only for Students of Color (Black and Hispanic students), not for White students. CONCLUSIONS: There are race/ethnic differences in the incidence and impact of adverse childhood experiences on post-secondary academic achievement. Thus, it is important for colleges and universities to create a trauma-informed campus culture and holistic mental health support system, particularly for Students of Color, who may not have had access to high quality care before attending college.

People who need people: the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and mental health among college students.

ObjectiveThis study investigates the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health among a sample of college students. It also explores whether health behaviors and social support may help to explain the link between ACEs and mental health. Participants: Participants were students at a large public university in the Southwest (n = 404). Methods: A survey captured ACEs, diet, exercise, smoking, binge drinking, perceived social support, depression, anxiety, and demographics. Results: Respondents with four or more ACEs had significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety than respondents with lower ACE scores. We found significant differences in social support, but not health behaviors for the two groups. Finally, social support emerged as a strong predictor of depression/anxiety and a mediator between childhood adversity and mental health outcomes. Conclusions: Our findings confirm the importance of adverse childhood experiences for college student health and indicate a need for interventions for socially isolated students.

The Unique Nature of Depression and Anxiety among College Students with Adverse Childhood Experiences.

It is well established that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) contribute to the development of mental disorders in adulthood. However, less is known about how childhood trauma impacts the mind and the body, whether the resulting mental disorders have different characteristics than those occurring without these antecedent conditions, and if treatment modalities need to reflect the unique nature of mental disorders rooted in trauma. Survey and biomarker data were gathered from a sample of college students (n = 93) to explore the relationship between childhood trauma and mental health. We examine how neuroimmune systems (inflammation and neuroplasticity) relate to depression and anxiety and whether these associations vary for those with and without a history of childhood trauma. Findings reveal that students with 4 or more ACEs are more likely to have depression and anxiety than students without these experiences. In addition, we find that inflammation (CRP) and neuronal health (BDNF) are associated with mental health disorders among students with four or more ACEs, but not for students without this history. These findings suggest that mental disorders associated with four or more ACEs may be uniquely tied to physiological processes, and consequently, warrant tailored treatments. The implications for mental health intervention include, 1) screening for childhood trauma, inflammation, and neuronal health and 2) referral to treatments which are theoretically and empirically tied to the root causes of mental disorders rather than those designed merely to suppress their symptoms.

Adverse childhood experiences and neuroinflammatory biomarkers-The role of sex.

Despite the growing interest in adverse childhood experiences and biomarkers, less attention has been paid to multiple biomarkers as representing interrelated systems among college students. Guided by the neuroinflammatory pathway hypothesis, the current project takes the initial step in examining the link between three types of childhood adversity and biomarkers of neuroplasticity (brain-derived neurotropic factor [BDNF]) and low-grade inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP]) in an overarching model and whether this link may differ in men and women. Undergraduate students (n = 85) were recruited through multiple departments from a state university. The participants responded to the detailed online survey questionnaire on childhood adversity and provided one blood sample via venous blood draw. Given that CRP and BDNF represent two interrelated systems, structural equation models were considered the most suitable for the analyses. The findings partially support neural and inflammatory pathways, such that childhood adversity and particularly family dysfunction have a significant positive effect on BDNF (b = 30.41, p < .01). The link between family dysfunction and CRP was stronger in female students (b = 0.57, p < .05). Results suggest that interventions for college students with family dysfunctions may need to target different physiological and behavioral outcomes for male and female students.

A Primary Care-Based Early Childhood Nutrition Intervention: Evaluation of a Pilot Program Serving Low-Income Hispanic Women.

Nutrition in early childhood can significantly impact physical and mental health outcomes for children. However, research on broadly defined pre/postnatal nutrition interventions is sparse. The present study is a process and outcome evaluation of a primary care-based nutrition intervention targeting low-income Hispanic women. Pregnant women enrolled in the program were in their first trimester and received services through their 6-month well child check. The program provided vouchers for fruits and vegetables from the local farmers' market, nutrition classes, cooking classes, and lactation counseling. We conducted a prospective study of program participants (n = 32) and a comparable group of women for whom the program was not available (n = 29). Panel survey data measured maternal diet, exercise, stress, depression, social support, infant feeding practices, and demographics. Outcome measures obtained from medical records included pregnancy weight gain, infant weight at 6 and 12 months, and infant development at 9 months. Findings reveal that the program was not associated with infant weights. However, despite similar profiles at baseline, women in the intervention group were more likely than women in the comparison group to have significant improvements in diet, exercise, and depression (p ≤ .05). In addition, participants were more likely to breastfeed (p = .07) and their infants were more likely to pass the ages and stages developmental screen (p = .06) than women in the comparison group. The study was limited by a lack of random assignment and small samples. However, the breadth and size of the effects suggest pre/postnatal nutrition interventions integrated into primary care warrant additional investigation.

Sugar, stress, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: early childhood obesity risks among a clinic-based sample of low-income Hispanics.

The nationwide epidemic of pediatric obesity is more prevalent among Hispanic children than white children. Recent literature suggests that obesity has early origins, leading scholars to call for interventions in pregnancy and infancy. However, there is little theoretical or empirical research to guide the development of early prevention programs for Hispanics. The present study seeks to identify risk factors for early childhood obesity among a low-income, predominately Hispanic sample. Data were gathered to inform the design of a primary care childhood obesity prevention program targeting pregnancy through age 12 months. Baseline data were gathered on 153 women attending the clinic for prenatal care or for their child's 2, 6 or 12 month well-check. All women completed surveys on diet, exercise, social support, food security, stress, infant feeding practices, health, and demographics. For women with children (n = 66), survey data were matched with medical records data on infant weight. Results reveal that 55 % of women in the sample had an infant profiling in the 85th percentile or higher, confirming the need for an early childhood obesity intervention. While mothers exhibited several potential risk factors for childhood obesity (e.g. fast food consumption), only maternal consumption of sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages, stress, and SNAP (food stamp receipt) were associated with infant overweight. Findings further reveal that stress and SNAP relate to child overweight, in part, through mothers' sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Results suggest that obesity prevention efforts must address specific individual choices as well as the external environment that shapes these consumption patterns.

Alcohol use and cigarette smoking during pregnancy among American Indians/Alaska Natives.

Previous research states that American Indian/Alaska Native pregnant women exhibit high rates of alcohol use and smoking. The current study uses the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (2005-2009) to update and expand on this literature. Results reveal lower rates of alcohol use and, with compositional controls, lower rates of smoking for American Indian/Alaska Native pregnant women compared with pregnant women of other racial/ethnic groups. These findings support social-structural explanations of substance use among American Indian/Alaska Native pregnant women and refute commonly offered cultural arguments that alcohol use and smoking reflect something that is "uniquely Indian."

Collaborative care for the treatment of depression in primary care with a low-income, spanish-speaking population: outcomes from a community-based program evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of a collaborative care model with a predominantly Hispanic, low-income population in a primary care setting and (2) examine depression outcomes with a subpopulation of preferentially Spanish-speaking patients compared with non-Hispanic white participants. METHOD: The data were collected from September 2006 through September 2009 at the study site, the People's Community Clinic, Austin, Texas. Data collection was part of an evaluation of the Integrated Behavioral Health program, a collaborative care model of identifying and treating mild-to-moderate mental disorders in adults in a primary care setting. A bilingual care manager provided supportive counseling and patient education and systematically tracked patient progress in a patient registry. A consulting psychiatrist evaluated patients with diagnostic or treatment concerns. The study retrospectively examined changes in depression scores among 269 subjects as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the primary outcome measure. The PHQ-9 is a self-report of frequency of symptoms for each of the 9 DSM-IV criteria for depression. Logistic regression models compared race/ethnicity and language group combinations on their odds of achieving clinically meaningful depression improvement when background characteristics were controlled for. RESULTS: Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients had significantly greater odds of achieving a clinically meaningful improvement in depression at 3-month follow-up (odds ratio [OR] = 2.45, P = .013) compared to non-Hispanic whites. The finding for greater improvement in the Spanish-speaking population remained after controlling for age, sex, medical comorbidities, prior treatment, and baseline depression scores. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a model of care that is effective for a population at great risk for marginal mental health care, non-English-speaking Hispanics. Attention to patient preferences in primary care is essential to improve quality of depression treatment and may improve outcomes. In light of previous research that demonstrates insufficient evidence-based guidelines for patients with limited English proficiency and evidence that evaluation of patients in their nonprimary language or through an interpreter can lead to inaccurate mental health assessments, this study suggests an opportunity to improve the quality of mental health care for non-English-speaking Hispanics in the United States.

Race/ethnicity, acculturation, and sex differences in the relationship between parental social support and children's overweight and obesity.

In the present study we use the 2007 National Survey of Child Health to examine whether parental social support is associated with children's overweight/obesity and if this relationship is moderated by race/ethnicity, acculturation, and/or parent's sex. Results reveal that Hispanics (English and Spanish-speaking) and African Americans have considerably higher rates of child overweight/obesity and are less likely to have social support with parenting than Whites. Social support emerged as a significant predictor of overweight/obesity only for English-speaking Hispanic fathers. However, the magnitude of this effect was substantial. English-speaking Hispanic fathers were more than twice as likely as White fathers to have an overweight/obese child, but with social support, the odds declined by 80%. Findings suggest a need to understand better how race/ethnicity and acculturative stress shape fathers' parenting practices and how social support serves to buffer these strains.

The race/ethnic age crossover effect in drug use and heavy drinking.

Existing literature suggests that Blacks and to some extent Hispanics are less likely than Whites to use substances in their youth. However, by age 35 their use rates are higher than those of Whites. This has been referred to as the race/ethnic age crossover effect in substance use. However, more research is needed to clarify whether this is true for Blacks and Hispanics, males and females, and for drugs and alcohol. It is also empirically unclear why this crossover effect occurs. The present study explores these issues. The National Household Survey of Drug Abuse is merged for four years (1999-2002) to study the race/ethnic age crossover effect (n = 208,878). The results suggest that the race/ethnic age crossover effect cannot be used to describe Hispanic relative to White substance use. However, it is applicable to Black substance use, in particular illegal drug use for Black males and heavy drinking for Black females. Additional analyses reveal that the crossover effect for Blacks is eliminated when socio-demographic controls are included. With controls, drug use and heavy drinking for Blacks are lower than that of Whites for all age groups and for both males and females. Process differences are also revealed in the effects of the socio-demographic correlates. More specifically, these analyses of composition and process suggest that drug availability/exposure is a particularly important factor which likely contributes to the crossover effect in substance use and deserves further study.

Race/Ethnic Differences in Alcohol Abuse Among Youth.

OBJECTIVE: Black and Hispanic youth are less likely to abuse alcohol than White youth. However, the reasons for these race/ ethnic differences in alcohol abuse are unclear. The present study explores whether the variations can be explained, in part, by racial/ethnic differences in attitudes toward risk. METHOD: The National Household Survey of Drug Abuse, 2001 (n = 32,798) is used to explore race/ethnic differences in risk-taking attitudes and whether these attitudes serve to mediate race/ethnic differences in heavy drinking and drinking and driving. RESULTS: Bivariate analyses reveal that Black and Hispanic youth have lower rates of alcohol abuse and a lower propensity for risk-taking than White youth. Logistic regressions reveal that the differences in risk-taking explain (but do not completely account for) observed differences in alcohol abuse. These findings are present for both males and females. Results more generally reveal that social and economic ad vantages are associated with risk-taking attitudes and thus indirectly contribute to alcohol abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Researchers have long been surprised that minority youth exhibit lower rates of alcohol abuse than White youth since socioeconomic disadvantage often contributes to substance abuse. However, the present study suggests that social and economic disadvantages might also suppress risk-taking propensities, which in turn may reduce the incidence of alcohol abuse. Additional research is needed to understand the mechanisms by which social and cultural resources affect attitudes toward risk.

Risky parental behavior and adolescent sexual activity at first coitus.

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) were used to examine the impact of parents' behavior on adolescents' sexual experience and contraceptive use. All else being equal, adolescents whose parents engage in risky behaviors are especially likely to be sexually active and to have had sex before age 15. These findings are only partly attributable to the link between parents' risky behaviors (smoking, drinking, driving without seatbelts) and adolescents' risky behaviors (smoking, drinking, delinquent activity, association with substance-using peers). Although parental behaviors are effective predictors of adolescents' sexual activity, they are not effective predictors of contraceptive use or of method choice at first coitus. Overall, parents with low levels of self-efficacy seem to be especially likely to have children at risk of engaging in problem behaviors.