Can the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) checklist be utilized to predict emergency department visits among children and adolescents?

Background: Extensive literature has shown an association of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) with adverse health outcomes; however, its ability to predict events or stratify risks is less known. Individuals with mental illness and ACE exposure have been shown to visit emergency departments (ED) more often than those in the general population. This study thus examined the ability of the ACEs checklist to predict ED visits within the subsequent year among children and adolescents presenting to mental health clinics with pre-existing mental health issues.

Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experience Survey Items and Psychiatric Disorders.

Context: Developmental psychopathology theory suggests a relationship between early childhood adversity and mental disorder.

Objective: To examine the relationship between the specific items on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) survey and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) categories of psychiatric diagnoses in a pediatric sample.

Design: The sample included patients enrolled in the Child and Adolescent Addiction Mental Health and Psychiatry Program with both a completed ACE survey and at least 1 diagnosis of record (per admission).