Latent Classes of Adverse and Benevolent Childhood Experiences in a Multinational Sample of Parents and Their Relation to Parent, Child, and Family Functioning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dylan Johnson, Dillon T. Browne, Robert D. Meade, Heather Prime and Mark Wade ()
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Dylan Johnson: Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada
Dillon T. Browne: Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Robert D. Meade: Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Heather Prime: Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
Mark Wade: Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-16

Abstract: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are known to contribute to later mental health. Conversely, Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) may buffer against mental health difficulties. The importance of ACEs and BCEs for mental health of both parents and children may be most obvious during periods of stress, with potential consequences for functioning of the family. Subgroups of ACEs and BCEs in parents during the COVID-19 pandemic were investigated and validated in relation to indices of parent, child, and family well-being. In May 2020, ACEs/BCEs were assessed in 547 parents of 5–18-year-old children from the U.K., U.S., Canada, and Australia. Subgroups of parents with varying levels of ACEs and BCEs were identified via latent class analysis. The subgroups were validated by examining associations between class membership and indices of parent and child mental health and family well-being. Four latent classes were identified: low-ACEs/high-BCEs, moderate-ACEs/high-BCEs, moderate-ACEs/low-BCEs, and high-ACEs/moderate-BCEs. Regardless of the extent of BCEs, there was an increased risk of parent and child mental health difficulties and family dysfunction among those reporting moderate-to-high levels of ACEs. Parents’ history of adversity may influence the mental health of their family. These findings highlight the importance of public health interventions for preventing early-life adversity.

Keywords: adversity; benevolence; ACEs; BCEs; parental mental health; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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