Prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and associated physical and mental health problems amongst hospital patients: Results from a cross-sectional study

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have severe detrimental effects on physical and mental health. This study aimed to present prevalence rates of ACEs amongst a mixed sample of hospital patients. Methods: In- and outpatients at seven departments of the University Hospital of Innsbruck (Austria) participated in the study. They completed questionnaires regarding retrospective assessments of ACEs, physical and mental health and experience of domestic violence. The impact of ACEs on patients' health was evaluated by calculation of odds ratios (OR) in binary logistic regressions. Results: A total of n = 2392 (74.3% of all approached patients) were included in the analyses. The results showed that 36.1% of them reported at least one form of ACEs, and 6.3% were polyvictimized (i.e. they reported ≥4 forms of ACEs). Most frequent forms of ACE were emotional abuse (18.3%), peer abuse (14.2%), and neglect (12.3%). ACEs were significantly associated with increased ORs for various physical diseases, mental health problems and domestic violence. Conclusion: Retrospectively assessed ACEs are highly prevalent amongst hospital patients and exposure to high numbers of ACEs is associated with decreased physical and mental health. The identification of patients with symptoms following ACEs and referral to appropriate treatment is a crucial challenge for health-care professionals.