Adverse childhood experiences, family relationship and generalized anxiety in the youth population in Hong Kong
Introduction Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are shown to be risk factors for developing anxiety later in life. However, one’s family relationship acts as a protective factor between ACEs and anxiety. Objectives The present study examines the interaction between ACEs and family relationship...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2021-04-01
|
| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821009846/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1827754192633069568 |
|---|---|
| author | W.C. Tang C.S. Wong W. Chang C.L. Hui S.K. Chan E.H. Lee |
| author_facet | W.C. Tang C.S. Wong W. Chang C.L. Hui S.K. Chan E.H. Lee |
| author_sort | W.C. Tang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are shown to be risk factors for developing anxiety later in life. However, one’s family relationship acts as a protective factor between ACEs and anxiety.
Objectives
The present study examines the interaction between ACEs and family relationship and their effect on generalized anxiety (GA) amongst the youth population in Hong Kong.
Methods
Participants aged 15-24 were recruited from a population-based epidemiological study in Hong Kong. GA in the past two weeks was assessed using GAD-7, while ACEs were measured using the childhood section of Composite International Diagnostic Interview screening scales (CIDI-SC), encompassing parental psychopathology, physical, emotional, sexual abuse, and neglect before age 17. Family relationship was measured by the Brief Family Relationship Scale (BFRS). Linear regression and a two-way ANCOVA were conducted to examine the association between ACEs, family relationship and GA, while adjusted for age and gender.
Results
633 (70.7%) out of 895 participants had any ACEs. ACEs significantly predicted GAD-7 scores (Β=1.272, t(891)=4.115, p<.001). Two-way ANCOVA reported a significant interaction effect of ACEs and family relationship on GA (F(1, 889)=4.398, p=.036), namely those who had any ACEs and poorer family relationship scored higher in GAD-7 (p<.001), whereas there was no difference in family relationship for those without ACEs on GA (p=.501).
Conclusions
ACEs increases the vulnerability to GA later in life. However, its effect on anxiety decreases when one has a better family relationship. This suggests a possible moderating role of family relationship in developing GA among younger people.
|
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:46:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f408996043944b408b62033097b0ff2e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:46:48Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-f408996043944b408b62033097b0ff2e2023-11-17T05:07:37ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852021-04-0164S367S36710.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.984Adverse childhood experiences, family relationship and generalized anxiety in the youth population in Hong KongW.C. Tang0C.S. Wong1W. Chang2C.L. Hui3S.K. Chan4E.H. Lee5Department Of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, HK, Hong Kong PRCDepartment Of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong PRCDepartment Of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong PRCDepartment Of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, HK, Hong Kong PRCDepartment Of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, HK, Hong Kong PRCDepartment Of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, HK, Hong Kong PRC Introduction Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are shown to be risk factors for developing anxiety later in life. However, one’s family relationship acts as a protective factor between ACEs and anxiety. Objectives The present study examines the interaction between ACEs and family relationship and their effect on generalized anxiety (GA) amongst the youth population in Hong Kong. Methods Participants aged 15-24 were recruited from a population-based epidemiological study in Hong Kong. GA in the past two weeks was assessed using GAD-7, while ACEs were measured using the childhood section of Composite International Diagnostic Interview screening scales (CIDI-SC), encompassing parental psychopathology, physical, emotional, sexual abuse, and neglect before age 17. Family relationship was measured by the Brief Family Relationship Scale (BFRS). Linear regression and a two-way ANCOVA were conducted to examine the association between ACEs, family relationship and GA, while adjusted for age and gender. Results 633 (70.7%) out of 895 participants had any ACEs. ACEs significantly predicted GAD-7 scores (Β=1.272, t(891)=4.115, p<.001). Two-way ANCOVA reported a significant interaction effect of ACEs and family relationship on GA (F(1, 889)=4.398, p=.036), namely those who had any ACEs and poorer family relationship scored higher in GAD-7 (p<.001), whereas there was no difference in family relationship for those without ACEs on GA (p=.501). Conclusions ACEs increases the vulnerability to GA later in life. However, its effect on anxiety decreases when one has a better family relationship. This suggests a possible moderating role of family relationship in developing GA among younger people. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821009846/type/journal_articleyouth populationadverse childhood experiencesfamily relationshipgeneralized anxiety |
| spellingShingle | W.C. Tang C.S. Wong W. Chang C.L. Hui S.K. Chan E.H. Lee Adverse childhood experiences, family relationship and generalized anxiety in the youth population in Hong Kong European Psychiatry youth population adverse childhood experiences family relationship generalized anxiety |
| title | Adverse childhood experiences, family relationship and generalized anxiety in the youth population in Hong Kong |
| title_full | Adverse childhood experiences, family relationship and generalized anxiety in the youth population in Hong Kong |
| title_fullStr | Adverse childhood experiences, family relationship and generalized anxiety in the youth population in Hong Kong |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adverse childhood experiences, family relationship and generalized anxiety in the youth population in Hong Kong |
| title_short | Adverse childhood experiences, family relationship and generalized anxiety in the youth population in Hong Kong |
| title_sort | adverse childhood experiences family relationship and generalized anxiety in the youth population in hong kong |
| topic | youth population adverse childhood experiences family relationship generalized anxiety |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821009846/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wctang adversechildhoodexperiencesfamilyrelationshipandgeneralizedanxietyintheyouthpopulationinhongkong AT cswong adversechildhoodexperiencesfamilyrelationshipandgeneralizedanxietyintheyouthpopulationinhongkong AT wchang adversechildhoodexperiencesfamilyrelationshipandgeneralizedanxietyintheyouthpopulationinhongkong AT clhui adversechildhoodexperiencesfamilyrelationshipandgeneralizedanxietyintheyouthpopulationinhongkong AT skchan adversechildhoodexperiencesfamilyrelationshipandgeneralizedanxietyintheyouthpopulationinhongkong AT ehlee adversechildhoodexperiencesfamilyrelationshipandgeneralizedanxietyintheyouthpopulationinhongkong |