Longitudinal Impact of Childhood Adversity on Early Adolescent Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the ABCD Study Cohort: Does Race or Ethnicity Moderate Findings?

Authors

Elizabeth A. Stinson, University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeFollow
Ryan Michael Sullivan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Susan Tapert, University of California - San Diego
Fiona Baker, SRI International
Florence Breslin, Laureate Institute for Brain Research
Anthony Dick, Florida International University
Marybel Gonzalez, University of California - San Diego
Mathieu Guillaume, Stanford University
Andrew Marshall, Children's Hospital of Los AngelesFollow
Connor McCabe, University of California - San Diego
William Pelham III, University of California - San DiegoFollow
Amandine Van Rinsveld, Stanford University
Chandni Sheth, University of Utah
Elizabeth Sowell, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
Natasha Wade, University of California - San Diego
Alexander L. Wallace, University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeFollow
Krista M. Lisdahl, University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-29-2021

Keywords

Adolescence, Adverse childhood experiences, COVID-19, Health disparities, Mental health, Pandemic

Abstract

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, mental health among youth has been negatively affected. Youth with a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), as well as youth from minoritized racial-ethnic backgrounds, may be especially vulnerable to experiencing COVID-19–related distress. The aims of this study are to examine whether exposure to pre-pandemic ACEs predicts mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in youth and whether racial-ethnic background moderates these effects.

Methods

From May to August 2020, 7983 youths (mean age, 12.5 years; range, 10.6–14.6 years) in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study completed at least one of three online surveys measuring the impact of the pandemic on their mental health. Data were evaluated in relation to youths' pre-pandemic mental health and ACEs.

Results

Pre-pandemic ACE history significantly predicted poorer mental health across all outcomes and greater COVID-19–related stress and impact of fears on well-being. Youths reported improved mental health during the pandemic (from May to August 2020). While reporting similar levels of mental health, youths from minoritized racial-ethnic backgrounds had elevated COVID-19–related worry, stress, and impact on well-being. Race and ethnicity generally did not moderate ACE effects. Older youths, girls, and those with greater pre-pandemic internalizing symptoms also reported greater mental health symptoms.

Conclusions

Youths who experienced greater childhood adversity reported greater negative affect and COVID-19–related distress during the pandemic. Although they reported generally better mood, Asian American, Black, and multiracial youths reported greater COVID-19–related distress and experienced COVID-19–related discrimination compared with non-Hispanic White youths, highlighting potential health disparities.

Recommended Citation

Stinson, E. A., Sullivan, R. M., Peteet, B. J., Tapert, S. F., Baker, F. C., Breslin, F. J., Dick, A. S., Gonzalez, M. R., Guillaume, M., Marshall, A. T., McCabe, C. J., Pelham, W. E., Van Rinsveld, A., Sheth, C. S., Sowell, E. R., Wade, N. E., Wallace, A. L., & Lisdahl, K. M. (2021). Longitudinal impact of childhood adversity on early adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in the ABCD study cohort: Does race or ethnicity moderate findings? Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.08.007