Service needs of young people affected by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs): A systematic review of UK qualitative evidence.

Child Youth Serv Rev

EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University College London, 18 Woburn Square, London WC1H 0NR, United Kingdom.

Published: November 2020

AI Article Synopsis

  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) like abuse and neglect can harm kids' mental and physical health throughout their lives.
  • The study looked at how kids aged 3 to 18 in the UK feel about the support and services they need after facing ACEs.
  • Kids really value emotional support, kind listeners, and stable relationships to help them overcome challenges and gain trust.

Article Abstract

Background: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as, physical and sexual abuse, neglect, or living in a household with domestic violence or substance misuse, can have negative impacts on mental and physical health across the lifecourse. A deeper understanding of the kinds of services that people affected by ACEs feel they need to overcome these negative impacts is required.

Review Question: How do people affected by ACEs between the ages of 3 to 18 experience support and services in the UK? What are their needs relating to services and support?

Methods: Systematic review of qualitative evidence. We harvested relevant studies from existing systematic reviews of qualitative evidence located through a search of 18 databases. Included studies needed to be published in or after 2008, conducted in the UK, and report the views of people exposed to ACEs relating to their service needs. We included studies with participants who were affected by ACEs between 3 and 18 years old with no restriction on the age at which they accessed services.

Results: We identified 71 reviews from which we harvested 238 references on title and abstract screening. Following full text screening and quality and relevance appraisal we included 20 studies. Each of the included studies focussed on a specific ACE population. Almost half focused on young people who were fostered, looked-after or leaving care. No studies focussed on parental incarceration or divorce. Young people value emotional and practical support. Service providers were most valued for displaying empathy, being non-judgemental, and being active listeners. Supportive relationships, especially with adults, are a key factor in feeling understood.

Conclusions: People affected by ACEs describe the importance of stability and continuity in the support they receive. These factors are important for allowing necessary time to overcome obstacles and build up trust. Research often frames response to ACE in terms of short term individual psychological outcomes but these findings highlight the importance of focussing on wider social factors to encourage meaningful engagement with services.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7467867PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105429DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

included studies
16
young people
12
qualitative evidence
12
people aces
12
adverse childhood
8
childhood experiences
8
experiences aces
8
systematic review
8
review qualitative
8
negative impacts
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!