Highlights

1 in 5 California adults reported four or more adverse childhood experiences; the proportions were even greater for young adults and adults in some racial or ethnic groups.

Among adults with four or more adverse childhood experiences, 28.6% said they had serious psychological distress in the past year, while 7.3% of adults who said they had no adverse childhood experiences reported serious psychological distress.

Researchers recommend expanding training requirements so more health care practitioners can provide screenings for adverse childhood experiences.

Summary

Published Date: May 15, 2024

Summary: This policy brief uses data from the 2022 California Health Interview Survey to analyze the distribution of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) and their relationship to mental health issues such as serious psychological distress (SPD) and to perceived need and unmet need for mental health care among California adults.

Findings: About 1 in 5 California adults had high exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in childhood (had four or more). Compared to adults ages 65 and older, greater proportions of young- (ages 18 to 35) and middle-aged adults (ages 36 to 49) had four or more ACEs. Adults who identified as Native American or Alaska Native, Latinx, Black or African American, or as belonging to two or more racial or ethnic groups, were more likely to have had high exposure to ACEs. Relative to California adults without any ACEs, a larger proportion of adults with four or more ACEs experienced SPD and had a perceived and unmet need for mental health services in the past year.

A larger proportion of older adults had four or more positive childhood experiences (PCEs) compared to young - and middle-aged adults.  Compared to other racial and ethnic categories, adults identifying as Latinx, Black or African American, or as belonging to two or more racial and ethnic categories were more likely to report not having had any PCEs. Adults who did not have any PCEs were more likely to report experiencing SPD in the past year.

**Note: This policy brief was updated May 28, 2024 to include a definition of Kessler 6 (K6) scores. Moderate psychological distress is defined as having a (K6) score between 5 to 12 and serious psychological distress as having a score between 13 to 24.

In addition, one figure was changed in Exhibit 3. The figure for "Unmet need for mental health services in the past year" among "All Adults" was corrected to 34.2% from 37.3%.**

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Data Points

37.7%

Young adults in California who had at least one ACE and experienced serious psychological distress, compared with 6.5% of Californians 65 and older. 

36.8%

American Indian or Alaska Native adults in California who had four or more ACEs, compared with 24.2% of all California adults.
 

11.4%

California adults ages 36 to 49 reported having no positive childhood experiences, compared with 8.5% of California adults 65 and older.

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