The prevalence of childhood adversity among healthcare workers and its relationship to adult life events, distress and impairment.

Objective: We investigated the prevalence of childhood adversity among healthcare workers and if such experiences affect responses to adult life stress.

Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted of a 2003 study of 176 hospital-based healthcare workers, which surveyed lifetime traumatic events, recent life events, psychological distress, coping, social support, and days off work due to stress or illness.

Results: Sixty eight percent (95% CI 61.1-74.9) of healthcare workers had one or more experience of violence, abuse or neglect, 33% (95% CI 26.1-40.0) before the age of 13. Compared to healthcare workers who did not experience childhood adversity, those who did reported more recent life events (median 11 vs. 5 over the previous 6 months, p<.001) and greater psychological distress (median score 17 vs. 13, p<.001). The relationship between life events and psychological distress was not linear. Most healthcare workers without childhood adversity (73%) reported a low number of life events which were not associated with psychological distress. Most healthcare workers with childhood adversity (81%) reported a higher number of life events, for which the correlation between events and distress was moderately strong (Spearman's rho=.50, p<.001). Childhood adversity was also associated with more missed work days. Each of these outcomes was higher in 22 healthcare workers (13%) who had experienced more than one type of childhood adversity.

Conclusions: Childhood adversity is common among healthcare workers and is associated with a greater number of life events, more psychological distress and impairment.