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Cited by 111Child Abuse and TraumaMindfulness and Compassion InterventionsResilience and Mental Health

Adverse childhood experiences, dispositional mindfulness, and adult health

Whitaker, Robert C., Dearth-Wesley, Tracy, Gooze, Rachel A., Becker, Brandon D., Gallagher, Kathleen C., McEwen, Bruce S.·2014·Preventive Medicine
DOI 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.07.029
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Abstract

Objective To determine whether greater dispositional mindfulness is associated with better adult health across a range of exposures to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).Methods In 2012, a web-based survey of 2160 Pennsylvania Head Start staff was conducted. We assessed ACE score (count of eight categories of childhood adversity), dispositional mindfulness (Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised), and the prevalence of three outcomes: multiple health conditions (≥ 3 of 7 conditions), poor health behavior (≥ 2 of 5 behaviors), and poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL) (≥ 2 of 5 indicators).Results Respondents were 97% females, and 23% reported ≥ 3 ACEs. The prevalences of multiple health conditions, poor health behavior, and poor HRQOL were 29%, 21%, and 13%, respectively. At each level of ACE exposure, health outcomes were better in those with greater mindfulness. For example, among persons reporting ≥ 3 ACEs, those in the highest quartile of mindfulness had a prevalence of multiple health conditions two-thirds that of those in the lowest quartile (adjusted prevalence ratio (95% confidence interval)=0.66 (0.51, 0.86)); for those reporting no ACEs, the ratio was 0.62 (0.41, 0.94).Conclusion Across a range of exposures to ACEs, greater dispositional mindfulness was associated with fewer health conditions, better health behavior, and better HRQOL.

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  • Early childhood educators and others employed in positions working directly with children and families report higher levels of adverse childhood experiences in comparison to the general population.

    “While research on trauma experienced by early childhood educators is limited, some studies have found early childhood educators, and others employed in positions working directly with children and families, report higher levels of adverse childhood experiences in comparison to the general population (Grist & Caudle, 2021; Hubel et al., 2020; Whitaker et al., 2014).”

    From Trauma-Informed Research-Practice Partnership Building to Support Early Childhood Educators in an Appalachian Community (2023) · cites this paper as Whitaker et al., 2014

  • Mindfulness as assessed by the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised moderates the positive association of adverse childhood events and poor adult health-related quality of life in a large sample of mostly female adult public service providers.

    “the positive association of adverse childhood events and poor adult health-related quality of life was moderated by mindfulness as assessed by the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R; Feldman et al., 2007) (Whitaker et al., 2014).”

    From Dispositional Mindfulness Uncouples Physiological and Emotional Reactivity to a Laboratory Stressor and Emotional Reactivity to Executive Functioning Lapses in Daily Life (2016) · cites this paper as Whitaker et al., 2014

  • Using repeated-measures daily diary methodology helps address limitations of prior cross-sectional studies on mindfulness as a buffer against emotional reactivity to life events.

    “The use of repeated-measures daily diary methodology also helps to address the limitations of prior cross-sectional studies examining mindfulness as a buffer against emotional reactivity to life events assessed with self-report measures of concurrent hassles (Marks et al., 2010), perceived stress (Bränström et al., 2011), and retrospectively-reported childhood adversity (Whitaker et al., 2014).”

    From Dispositional Mindfulness Uncouples Physiological and Emotional Reactivity to a Laboratory Stressor and Emotional Reactivity to Executive Functioning Lapses in Daily Life (2016) · cites this paper as Whitaker et al., 2014

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Authors
Whitaker, R. C., Dearth-Wesley, T., Gooze, R. A., Becker, B. D., Gallagher, K. C., & McEwen, B. S.
Affiliations
  • Temple University (US)
  • Child Trends (US)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
  • Rockefeller University (US)
Corresponding author
Whitaker, Robert C.
ORCID
Venue
Preventive Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-10
Volume
67
Pages
147-153
ISSN
0091-7435 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.07.029
OpenAlex
W2013841132
Cited by
110
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 6
FWCI
7.50
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Preventive Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Temple University
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
Keywords
adverse childhood experiences, trait mindfulness, adult health, health-related quality of life, health behavior, childhood adversity
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child Abuse, Chronic Disease, Female, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pennsylvania, Quality of Life, Stress, Psychological, Health Behavior, Young Adult, Mindfulness

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