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Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents

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Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are associated with increased risk for psychopathology over the life course. However, few studies have examined the differential impact of ACE and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for racially and ethnically diverse adolescent populations. The findings from the few studies that examine differential effects are contradictory. This study uses data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A), a nationally representative adolescent sample (N = 10,123) to examine the impact of race/ethnicity on the association between ACE and PTSD among youth in a nationally representative sample in the United States. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to examine the main effects of ACE and race/ethnicity on PTSD, as well as the moderating role of race/ethnicity adjusting for socio-demographic variables. Findings suggest that race/ethnicity moderates the association between ACE and PTSD. Higher ACE score increased probability of lifetime PTSD for White non-Hispanic, Black, and Hispanic adolescents with White non-Hispanic adolescents presenting with a much higher probability of lifetime PTSD compared to their Hispanic and Black peers. Implications for future research and practice are discussed, specifically trauma informed strategies and culturally inclusive/specific practices that address the structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal influences adolescent outcomes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, University of Georgia, 279 Williams St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Jennifer Elkins, Harold E. Briggs & Orion Mowbray

  2. School of Social Work, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751 Mailcode: SSW, Portland, OR, 97207, USA

    Keva M. Miller & Roberto Orellana

  3. School of Social Work, University of Maryland, 525 W. Redwood St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Irang Kim

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. However, because it uses a restricted nationally representative dataset human subjects approval was required and obtained. Accordingly, all procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Elkins, J., Briggs, H.E., Miller, K.M. et al. Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 36, 449–457 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-018-0585-x

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