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

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Abstract

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.

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  1. Department of Sociology, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA

    Toni Watt, Natalie Ceballos, Seoyoun Kim, Xi Pan & Shobhit Sharma

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Correspondence to Toni Watt.

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Watt, T., Ceballos, N., Kim, S. et al. The Unique Nature of Depression and Anxiety among College Students with Adverse Childhood Experiences. Journ Child Adol Trauma 13, 163–172 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-019-00270-4

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