The burden of adverse childhood experiences when coping and adjusting to COVID-19 pandemic.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) are important stressors, impinging the response to other psychological challenges during life. People exposed to ACE tend to be more vulnerable to develop psychiatric disorders and are more prone to adjustment difficulties when facing the extreme stress, uncertainty, and health-related risk of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To disentangle associations between coping strategies, resilience and protective factors, mental health risk, and number and type of ACE. Method: An online survey launched by the ESTSS in eleven countries permits the assessment of protective and resilience factors, coping behaviour, and maladaptive adjustment amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Evaluation of mental health risk was performed using standardized instruments including measures of depression, anxiety, symptoms of adjustment disorder (ADNM-8), and posttraumatic disorder (PC-PTSD). The presence of ACE was screened in all participants who described the type and number of traumatic experiences experienced during childhood. The analysis will elucidate the presence of ACE in different individuals grouped by demographic characteristics, to foresee: 1) the most predominant variables; 2) if ACE scores relate to mental health-derived risks or resilience. Results: Preliminary results in ten of the participating countries showed variable frequencies of reported ACE in the different populations. The incidence of at least one ACE varies between countries. Conclusions: Childhood adversity may be considered as a cumulative burden and risk for mental disorders and adjustment difficulties when dealing with pandemic-related multiple challenges or may enhance protective mechanisms sustaining the wellbeing of specific subpopulations.