The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Community Violence Exposure on a Sample of Anxious, Treatment-Seeking Children

AbstractScreening for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can help prevent and reduce adverse outcomes on child development, including increased risk for anxiety disorders. Emerging studies strongly support the inclusion of community-level adversities in ACE screeners to consider diverse contexts and populations. Recent studies suggest that community violence exposure (CVE) may have a distinct impact on youth mental health. Although recent studies have examined the association between ACEs, CVE, and mental health in primary care settings, this association has not been examined on treatment-seeking children in urban mental health settings. The present study employs a mediation model using the PROCESS macro to examine community violence exposure mediating the effect on the association between ACEs and somatic symptoms (SS) on a sample of anxious treatment-seeking children. A total of 98 participants (Mage = 11.7, SD = 3.79, 51.6% males, 54.1% ethnic minority children) who sought services at a specialized anxiety clinic completed self-report measures. Results indicated that exposure to ACEs is associated with endorsement of somatic symptoms as a result of reporting hearing, witnessing, or exp eriencing CVE. Evidence of mediation was found in a statistically significant indirect effect of ACEs on SS through CREV (Effect = .17, 95% CI = .069–.294). These findings support recent evidence that CVE is a distinct ACE as it contributes to toxic stress similar to indi...
Source: Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma - Category: Child Development Source Type: research