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Development and psychopathology
05, 2022;34 (2): 499-511.

Measuring early life adversity: A dimensional approach.

Ilana S Berman, Katie A McLaughlin, Nim Tottenham, Keith Godfrey, Teresa Seeman, Eric Loucks, Stephen Suomi, Andrea Danese, Margaret A Sheridan
Author Information
  1. Ilana S Berman: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. ORCID
  2. Katie A McLaughlin: Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
  3. Nim Tottenham: Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. ORCID
  4. Keith Godfrey: MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
  5. Teresa Seeman: David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
  6. Eric Loucks: School of Public Health, Mindfulness Center, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
  7. Stephen Suomi: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA.
  8. Andrea Danese: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.
  9. Margaret A Sheridan: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. ORCID
PMID: 35314009 DOI: 10.1017/S0954579421001826

Abstract

Exposure to adversity in childhood is associated with elevations in numerous physical and mental health outcomes across the life course. The biological embedding of early experience during periods of developmental plasticity is one pathway that contributes to these associations. Dimensional models specify mechanistic pathways linking different dimensions of adversity to health and well-being outcomes later in life. While findings from existing studies testing these dimensions have provided promising preliminary support for these models, less agreement exists about how to measure the experiences that comprise each dimension. Here, we review existing approaches to measuring two dimensions of adversity: threat and deprivation. We recommend specific measures for measuring these constructs and, when possible, document when the same measure can be used by different reporters and across the lifespan to maximize the utility with which these recommendations can be applied. Through this approach, we hope to stimulate progress in understanding how particular dimensions of early environmental experience contribute to lifelong health.

Keywords

ACEs adverse early experiences adversity deprivation and threat dimensional models measurement

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Grants

  1. R01 MH103291/NIMH NIH HHS
  2. RG/15/17/31749/British Heart Foundation
  3. U24 AG047867/NIA NIH HHS
  4. R37 MH119194/NIMH NIH HHS
  5. R01 MH106482/NIMH NIH HHS
  6. R01 MH115004/NIMH NIH HHS
  7. SP/F/21/150013/British Heart Foundation
  8. R24 AG065174/NIA NIH HHS
  9. T32 HD007376/NICHD NIH HHS
  10. P2C HD050924/NICHD NIH HHS
  11. MC_UU_12011/4/Medical Research Council

MeSH Term

Humans
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Life Change Events
Review Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Article has an altmetric score of 9

Word Cloud

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