Abstract
Background: Although significant associations of childhood adversities with adult mental disorders are widely documented, most studies focus on single childhood adversities predicting single disorders. Aims: To examine joint associations of 12 childhood adversities with first onset of 20 DSM-IV disorders in World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys in 21 countries. Method: Nationally or regionally representative surveys of 51 945 adults assessed childhood adversities and lifetime DSM-IV disorders with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Results: Childhood adversities were highly prevalent and interrelated. Childhood adversities associated with maladaptive family functioning (e.g. parental mental illness, child abuse, neglect) were the strongest predictors of disorders. Co-occurring childhood adversities associated with maladaptive family functioning had significant subadditive predictive associations and little specificity across disorders. Childhood adversities account for 29.8% of all disorders across countries. Conclusions: Childhood adversities have strong associations with all classes of disorders at all life-course stages in all groups of WMH countries. Long-term associations imply the existence of as-yet undetermined mediators.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 378-385 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | British Journal of Psychiatry |
| Volume | 197 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 2010 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Childhood adversities and adult psychopathology in the WHO world mental health surveys. / Kessler, Ronald C.; McLaughlin, Katie A.; Green, Jennifer Greif; Gruber, Michael J.; Sampson, Nancy A.; Zaslavsky, Alan M.; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Alhamzawi, Ali Obaid; Alonso, Jordi; Angermeyer, Matthias; Benjet, Corina; Bromet, Evelyn; Chatterji, Somnath; De Girolamo, Giovanni; Demyttenaere, Koen; Fayyad, John; Florescu, Silvia; Gal, Gilad; Gureje, Oye; Haro, Josep Maria; Hu, Chi Yi; Karam, Elie G.; Kawakami, Norito; Lee, Sing; Lépine, Jean Pierre; Ormel, Johan; Posada-Villa, José; Sagar, Rajesh; Tsang, Adley; Bedirhan Üstün, T.; Vassilev, Svetlozar; Viana, Maria Carmen; Williams, David R.
In: British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 197, No. 5, 11.2010, p. 378-385.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Childhood adversities and adult psychopathology in the WHO world mental health surveys
AU - Kessler, Ronald C.
AU - McLaughlin, Katie A.
AU - Green, Jennifer Greif
AU - Gruber, Michael J.
AU - Sampson, Nancy A.
AU - Zaslavsky, Alan M.
AU - Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio
AU - Alhamzawi, Ali Obaid
AU - Alonso, Jordi
AU - Angermeyer, Matthias
AU - Benjet, Corina
AU - Bromet, Evelyn
AU - Chatterji, Somnath
AU - De Girolamo, Giovanni
AU - Demyttenaere, Koen
AU - Fayyad, John
AU - Florescu, Silvia
AU - Gal, Gilad
AU - Gureje, Oye
AU - Haro, Josep Maria
AU - Hu, Chi Yi
AU - Karam, Elie G.
AU - Kawakami, Norito
AU - Lee, Sing
AU - Lépine, Jean Pierre
AU - Ormel, Johan
AU - Posada-Villa, José
AU - Sagar, Rajesh
AU - Tsang, Adley
AU - Bedirhan Üstün, T.
AU - Vassilev, Svetlozar
AU - Viana, Maria Carmen
AU - Williams, David R.
PY - 2010/11
Y1 - 2010/11
N2 - Background: Although significant associations of childhood adversities with adult mental disorders are widely documented, most studies focus on single childhood adversities predicting single disorders. Aims: To examine joint associations of 12 childhood adversities with first onset of 20 DSM-IV disorders in World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys in 21 countries. Method: Nationally or regionally representative surveys of 51 945 adults assessed childhood adversities and lifetime DSM-IV disorders with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Results: Childhood adversities were highly prevalent and interrelated. Childhood adversities associated with maladaptive family functioning (e.g. parental mental illness, child abuse, neglect) were the strongest predictors of disorders. Co-occurring childhood adversities associated with maladaptive family functioning had significant subadditive predictive associations and little specificity across disorders. Childhood adversities account for 29.8% of all disorders across countries. Conclusions: Childhood adversities have strong associations with all classes of disorders at all life-course stages in all groups of WMH countries. Long-term associations imply the existence of as-yet undetermined mediators.
AB - Background: Although significant associations of childhood adversities with adult mental disorders are widely documented, most studies focus on single childhood adversities predicting single disorders. Aims: To examine joint associations of 12 childhood adversities with first onset of 20 DSM-IV disorders in World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys in 21 countries. Method: Nationally or regionally representative surveys of 51 945 adults assessed childhood adversities and lifetime DSM-IV disorders with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Results: Childhood adversities were highly prevalent and interrelated. Childhood adversities associated with maladaptive family functioning (e.g. parental mental illness, child abuse, neglect) were the strongest predictors of disorders. Co-occurring childhood adversities associated with maladaptive family functioning had significant subadditive predictive associations and little specificity across disorders. Childhood adversities account for 29.8% of all disorders across countries. Conclusions: Childhood adversities have strong associations with all classes of disorders at all life-course stages in all groups of WMH countries. Long-term associations imply the existence of as-yet undetermined mediators.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78249262967&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=78249262967&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1192/bjp.bp.110.080499
DO - 10.1192/bjp.bp.110.080499
M3 - Article
VL - 197
SP - 378
EP - 385
JO - British Journal of Psychiatry
JF - British Journal of Psychiatry
SN - 0007-1250
IS - 5
ER -