Adverse Childhood Experiences and Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Adolescents With and Without Autism.
Lisa D Wiggins, Carolyn DiGuiseppi, Katie Overwyk and 10 others
PMID 40862645WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents with autism or other developmental disabilities reported more adverse childhood experiences than typical peers.
Household substance use linked to conduct problems in autism, while financial assistance linked to hyperactivity in other disabilities. Mental health issues in the home affected behavior across all groups.
Key findings
01Caregivers of adolescents with autism and other developmental disabilities reported higher rates of adverse childhood experiences compared to the general population group.
02Living with someone who had a substance use problem was associated with conduct problems specifically in adolescents with autism, but not in other groups.
03Exposure to household mental illness or severe depression was associated with conduct, emotional, and hyperactivity problems across all three study groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study relies on caregiver reports for both the adverse experiences and the child's behavior, which may introduce recall bias or subjective interpretation. The cross-sectional nature of the survey data means the study cannot determine the timing of events or establish causality. The definition of adverse childhood experiences used here excluded common traditional measures like physical abuse or neglect, focusing instead on household dysfunction and economic stressors. The sample was drawn from specific geographic sites, which may limit generalizability to all populations.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that all adverse childhood experiences affect all adolescents in the same way. The study found that substance use in the home was specifically linked to conduct problems in autism, while financial assistance was linked to hyperactivity in other developmental disabilities. These patterns were not observed in the general population group.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →