Adverse Childhood Experiences in Medical Students: Implications for Wellness

Objective The primary purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in a cohort of third-year medical students and characterize their childhood protective factors. Methods The authors developed a web-based anonymous survey distributed to all third-year med...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Academic psychiatry 2019-08, Vol.43 (4), p.369-374
Main Authors: Sciolla, Andrés F., Wilkes, Michael S., Griffin, Erin J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adverse childhood experiences
Adverse Childhood Experiences - statistics & numerical data
Child abuse & neglect
Child Neglect
Childhood
Data Analysis
Domestic violence
Educational Attainment
Educational Objectives
Female
Females
Frequency distribution
Gender
Households
Humans
In Brief Report
Internet
Male
Medical Education
Medical schools
Medical students
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental Health
Minority & ethnic groups
Psychiatry
Questionnaires
Resilience, Psychological
Sex Factors
Student Surveys
Students, Medical - psychology
Students, Medical - statistics & numerical data
Suicides & suicide attempts
Surveys and Questionnaires
Women
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Summary:Objective The primary purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in a cohort of third-year medical students and characterize their childhood protective factors. Methods The authors developed a web-based anonymous survey distributed to all third-year medical students in one school ( N  = 98). The survey included the 10-item ACE Study questionnaire, a list of childhood protective factors (CPF) and questions to assess students’ perception of the impact of ACEs on their physical and mental health. The medical school’s IRB approved the student survey as an exempt study. The authors computed descriptive and comparative statistical analyses. Results Eighty-six of 98 students responded (88% response rate). Forty-four students (51%) reported at least one ACE exposure and 10 (12%) reported ≥ 4 exposures. The latter were all female. The average difference in the ACE score between male and female medical students was − 1.1 (independent t test with unequal variances t (57.7) = − 2.82, P  = .007). Students with an ACE score of ≥ 4 were significantly more likely to report a moderate or significant effect on their mental health, compared with students with scores ≤ 3 (chi-square test, P  = 
ISSN:1042-9670
1545-7230
1545-7230
DOI:10.1007/s40596-019-01047-5