Table 3.
Table of studies included in systematic review.
| Authors and Date | Dataset (Country) | Sample Characteristics | Number of Time Points | Number and Type of ACEs | Mediators and Moderators | Outcome | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell et al. (2019) | Christchurch Health and Development Study (New Zealand) | A birth cohort of individuals born in the Christchurch region in 1977 (N = 962) |
8 | 2–child maltreatment | Major depression, anxiety disorder, nicotine dependence, other illicit substance dependence and life stress | Psychotic experiences at age 30–35 | Partially mediated |
| Byrd et al. (2019) | Pittsburgh Girls Study (USA) | Female sample of 5- to 8-year olds in Pittsburgh, oversampled low-income households (N = 2004) |
16 | 4–child maltreatment 1–other |
Emotional reactivity, MAOA genotype | Antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder | Partial mediation through emotional reactivity, moderation through MAOA |
| Chen & Lacey (2018) | National Development Study (UK) | A birth cohort of individuals born in Great Britain during a 1-week period in 1958 (N = 7464) |
9 | 1–child maltreatment 4–household dysfunction 1–other |
Educational attainment, social class, emotional and somatic symptoms, problem alcohol use, smoking, physical exercise and BMI | Inflammation (CRP, fibrinogen and vWF) at age 44–45 | Partial mediation through socioeconomic and health factors, but not psychological distress factors |
| Clark et al. (2010) | National Development Study (UK) | A birth cohort of individuals born in Great Britain during a 1-week period in 1958 (N = 9377) |
9 | 3–child maltreatment 3–household dysfunction 1–other |
Social class, father’s social class, housing tenure, sex and psychopathology a | Psychopathology at ages 23 and 45 (anxiety, affective and mood symptoms) | Mediation through early adult psychopathology |
| Dion et al. (2019) | N/A (Canada) | Students recruited from high schools (N = 370) |
2 | 4–child maltreatment 1–household dysfunction |
Attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance | Psychological distress and self-esteem at age 24 | Mediation through attachment anxiety |
| Dubowitz et al. (2021) | LONGSCAN (USA) | A consortium of five American prospective studies (N = 473) |
8 | 4–child maltreatment | Internalising or externalising problems | Alcohol and marijuana use at age 18 | Mediation through internalising problems |
| Fergusson et al. (2011) | Christchurch Health and Development Study (New Zealand) | A birth cohort of individuals born in the Christchurch region in 1977 (N = 398) | 8 | 2–child maltreatment 1–household dysfunction |
MAOA (low-activity vs high-activity) | Hostility at ages 18, 21 and 25 | MAOA moderated |
| Heinze et al. (2018) | N/A (USA) | Ninth-grade students recruited from high schools in Michigan (N = 676) |
13 | 1–household dysfunction 2–other |
Friendship attachment style (secure vs insecure) | Depression and anxiety growth trajectories between 19 and 32 | Secure attachment to friends moderated |
| Huizinga et al. (2006) | National Youth Survey Family Study (USA) | Individuals aged 11–17 recruited to a national representative household study. Male sample (N = 1007) |
9 | 1–child maltreatment 1–other |
MAOA (high risk vs low risk) | Arrest records as an adult, antisocial personality disorder at ages 24–28 | No moderation |
| Kelly-Irving, Lepage, Dedieu, Bartley, et al. (2013) | National Development Study (UK) | A birth cohort of individuals born in Great Britain during a 1-week period in 1958 (N = 15221) |
9 | 1–child maltreatment 4–household dysfunction 1–other |
Educational attainment, social class, depression, alcohol consumption, smoking status and BMI. | All-cause mortality | Partial mediation. More pronounced in male sub-sample than female sub-sample |
| Kelly-Irving, Lepage, Dedieu, Lacey, et al. (2013) | National Development Study (UK) | A birth cohort of individuals born in Great Britain during a 1-week period in 1958 (N = 6138) |
9 | 1–child maltreatment 4–household dysfunction 1–other |
Educational attainment, social class, depression, alcohol consumption, smoking status and BMI. For women, there was an additional mediator of having a first pregnancy prior to age 33 | Cancer between ages 33 and 50 | Partial mediation in female sub-sample, but no relationship in male sample |
| Miller et al. (2014) | LONGSCAN (USA) | A consortium of five American prospective studies (N = 884) |
8 | 3–child maltreatment | Quality of relationships with parents, quality of friendships, depression | Suicidal ideation at age 18 | Partial mediation through depression |
| Miller et al. (2018) | N/A (USA) | Two community samples of families with children aged 9–10 (N = 82) |
6 | 4–Child maltreatment 5–household dysfunction 1–other |
Cortisol awakening response | BMI at age 22 | Full mediation through cortisol awakening response |
| Moretti & Craig (2013) | N/A (Canada) | Youths with either serious behaviour problems or involved in justice system (N = 179) |
3 | 2–child maltreatment | Emotion dysregulation | Depressive symptoms at age 19 | Partial mediation in male sample |
| Raposa, Bower, et al., 2014 | Mater-University Queensland Study of Pregnancy (Australia) | A birth cohort study of mother-child dyads with depressed mother (N = 389) |
6 | 1–child maltreatment 4–household dysfunction |
Smoking, alcohol use, BMI, depressive symptoms and chronic stress in adulthood | Inflammation (CRP and sTNF-RII) between ages 22 and 25 | Partial mediation through smoking status, BMI and chronic stress |
| Raposa, Hammen, et al. (2014) | Mater-University Queensland Study of Pregnancy (Australia) | A birth cohort study of mother-child dyads with depressed mother (N = 705) |
6 | 1–child maltreatment 4–household dysfunction |
Social stress, non-social stress depressive symptoms | Physical health (interviewer-rated, SF-16, chronic illnesses) at age 20 | Mediation through depression and non-social stress |
| Raposa et al. (2015) | Mater-University Queensland Study of Pregnancy (Australia) | A birth cohort study of mother-child dyads with depressed mother (N = 175) |
6 | 1–child maltreatment 4–household dysfunction |
Presence of psychopathology in close friend | Depressive symptoms at ages 22–25 | Mediation through the presence of a close friend with psychopathology symptoms |
| Schurer et al. (2019) | National Development Study (UK) | A birth cohort of individuals born in Great Britain during a 1-week period in 1958 (N = 7450) |
9 | 1–child maltreatment 4–household dysfunction 1–other |
Capital accumulated, cognitive skills, non-cognitive skills, mental and physical health, education attainment, family formation and labour force attachment | Economic outcomes (Net income, welfare dependence, subjective poverty) at age 55 | Mediation through education attainment, cognitive skills, non-cognitive skills, health and family factors |
| Solís et al. (2015) | National Development Study (UK) | A birth cohort of individuals born in Great Britain during a 1-week period in 1958. Sample split by sex. N = 3753 men, N = 3782 women | 9 | 1–child maltreatment 4–household dysfunction 1–other |
Educational attainment, social class, socioeconomic status, marital status, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, BMI and depressive symptoms | Allostatic load at age 44 | Mediation through health factors, education level and wealth male sub-sample. Mediation through by health factors and being a homeowner at age 33 in female sub-sample |
| Starr et al. (2014) | Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (Australia) | A birth cohort study of mother–child dyads with depressed mother. Sample split by available data for genotypic polymorphism (N = 705) |
6 | 3–household dysfunction 1–other |
Chronic stress in early adulthood. CRHR1 (rs110402 SNP) and 5-HTTLPR genotype | Depressive symptoms at age 20 | Moderation by chronic stress and CRHR1. Moderated by three-way interaction of chronic stress, CRHR1 and 5-HTTLPR |
| Veldman et al. (2015) | Tracking Adolescents’ Individuals Lives Study (Netherlands) | A cohort study of children from 5 municipalities (N = 1881) |
4 | 5–household dysfunction 3–other |
Internalising problems, externalising problems and attention problems | Educational attainment at age 19 | Partial mediation through externalising symptoms in male sub-sample |
| Wojciechowski (2020) | Pathways to Desistance (USA) | Juvenile offenders recently adjudicated for a serious offence (N = 261) |
12 | 2–other | Anxiety trajectory (low, moderate and high) | Drug or alcohol dependence | Partial mediation through high trajectories of anxiety |
aNote. This is not strictly a mediator because it is the same variable as measured as the outcome.