Capturing the developmental timing of adverse childhood experiences
The Adverse Life Experiences Scale
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8715592 |
|---|---|
| Authors | David J Hawes (0000-0003-3260-1225, corresponding author), Meryn Lechowicz (0000-0003-2755-0179), Alex Roach (0000-0003-2403-3360), Carri Fisher (0000-0001-7128-3587), Frances L Doyle (0000-0001-6621-5280), Samara Noble, Mark R Dadds (0000-0002-2900-1715) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 76 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 253-267 |
| Publication date | 2021-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Psychologist (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-066X • E-ISSN: 1935-990X |
| Publisher | American Psychological Association (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1037/amp0000760 |
| PMID | 33734793 |
| OpenAlex | W3136748464 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 11 |
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with a range of physical and mental health problems, and it is now understood that the developmental timing of ACEs may be critically important. Despite this, there is a distinct lack of methods for the efficient assessment of such timing in research and clinical settings. We report on the development and validation of a new measure, the Adverse Life Experiences Scale (ALES), that indexes such developmental timing within a format incorporating caregivers' reports of ACEs in their own lives and those of their children. Participants were a nationally representative sample of Australian families (n = 515; Study 1), and a sample of clinic-referred families (n = 168; Study 2). Results supported the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the ALES and indicated high levels of acceptability for the measure. In terms of validity, ALES scores were significantly associated with interview-based measures of child maltreatment and quality of the family environment, as well as measures of psychopathology across multiple informants (parents, teachers, clinician-rated). Furthermore, indices of ACEs occurring within specific age-based periods of childhood were found to explain unique variance in current symptoms of child and caregiver psychopathology, independent of the overall chronicity of those ACEs and current adversity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
Adverse Childhood Experiences · Adverse effect · Cartography · Developmental psychology · Geography · Mental health · Psychiatry · Scale (ratio · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Child Welfare and Adoption · Medicine · Psychology
Commentary
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Science, practice, and policy related to adverse childhood experiences
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| Unique citing works | 11 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2,2 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2025 (5) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 11 |