Relationship between adverse childhood experiences and unemployment among adults from five US states
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Purpose Our study assesses the relationships between self-reported adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (including sexual, physical, or verbal abuse, along with household dysfunction including parental separation or divorce, domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse, or incarcerated household member) and unemployment status in five US states in 2009. Methods We examined these relationships using the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor surveillance system survey data from 17,469 respondents (aged 18-64 years) who resided in five states, completed the ACE Questionnaire, and provided socio-demographic and social support information. We also assessed the mediation of these relationships by respondents' educational attainment, marital status, and social support. Results About two-third of respondents reported having had at least one ACEs, while 15.1% of men and 19.3% of women reported having had ≥4 ACEs. Among both men and women, the unemployment rate in 2009 was significantly higher among those who reported having had any ACE than among those who reported no ACEs (p < 0.05). Educational attainment, marital status, and social support mediated the relationship between ACEs and unemployment, particularly among women. Conclusions ACEs appear to be associated with increased risk for unemployment among men and women. Further studies may be needed to better understand how education, marital status, and social support mediate the association between multiple ACEs and unemployment.
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Early adversity is associated with higher risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, ischemic heart disease, cancers, depression, addictions, premature mortality, unemployment, and lower educational attainment.
“Outcomes associated with early adversity include higher risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, ischemic heart disease, cancers, depression, addictions, and premature mortality, as well as social outcomes including unemployment and lower educational attainment [1–8].”
From Biological embedding of childhood adversity: from physiological mechanisms to clinical implications (2017) · cites this paper as [2]
Adverse childhood experiences predict poorer long-term outcomes across health and social domains.
“Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that adverse childhood experiences, namely exposures such as neglect, abuse, caregiver mental illness, and family or community violence, predict poorer long-term outcomes across health and social domains.”
From Biological embedding of childhood adversity: from physiological mechanisms to clinical implications (2017) · cites this paper as [2]
Adverse psychosocial exposures in early life are associated with increased lifetime risk of adverse outcomes including diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and psychiatric illnesses.
“Adverse psychosocial exposures in early life, namely experiences such as child maltreatment, caregiver stress or depression, and domestic or community violence, have been associated in epidemiological studies with increased lifetime risk of adverse outcomes, including diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and psychiatric illnesses.”
From Biological embedding of childhood adversity: from physiological mechanisms to clinical implications (2017) · cites this paper as [2]
ELA-induced changes may mediate epidemiological links to key diseases, including obesity, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, asthma, thromboembolic events, cancer onset and progression, addictions, psychopathology, and adverse social outcomes.
“In full, ELA-induced changes may mediate epidemiological links to key diseases, including, among others, obesity, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, asthma, thromboembolic events (myocardial infarction, stroke), cancer onset and progression, as well as addictions, psychopathology, and adverse social outcomes [1–6, 18].”
From Biological embedding of childhood adversity: from physiological mechanisms to clinical implications (2017) · cites this paper as [2]
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- Authors
- Liu, Y., Croft, J. B., Chapman, D. P., Perry, G. S., Greenlund, K. J., Zhao, G., & Edwards, V. J.
- Affiliations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
- Corresponding author
- Liu, Yong
- Venue
- Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
- Published
- 2012-08-07
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 357-369
- ISSN
- 0933-7954 (ISSN-L)
- 1433-9285
- PMC
- PMC4539022
- OpenAlex
- W2006250529
- Cited by
- 200
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 5.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (CC999999)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Employment and Welfare Studies
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
- Keywords
- adverse childhood experiences, unemployment, childhood abuse, household dysfunction, domestic violence, parental separation, substance abuse, incarceration, educational attainment, marital status, social support, mediation, sex differences
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child Abuse, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Support, Socioeconomic Factors, Unemployment, United States, Prevalence, Domestic Violence, Substance-Related Disorders, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Young Adult
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