Table 2.

Exclusion criteria using the PEO model where applicable

Criteria	Exclusion
Design	Cross-sectional studies
Design	Analyses of interventions will be excluded
Design	Research containing non-empirical work as well as qualitative research and non-original data such as commentaries
Date	Studies published before 1990
Population	Whilst certain “clinical” samples may be included (see inclusion criteria), specific groups that live outside of the general community such as inpatients in psychiatric hospitals or those currently imprisoned will be excluded. This is to allow for more meaningful effect size comparisons between studies as effects in such samples may be overinflated
Exposure	Any study that only includes retrospective measures of ACEs (I.e., the study only includes the reporting of ACEs when the subjects are 18 and over) will be excluded
Exposure	Studies that only use crude measurements of adversity or mental health such as “were you abused as a child” or “have you ever been depressed” without asking about specific symptoms (such as hopelessness for depressed mood) or events (such as being hit for physical abuse)
Exposure	Studies in which the only adversity is a physical trauma without a maltreatment/ abuse/household dysfunction or chronic component (e.g., a car crash)
Outcomes	The studies do not need to use clinical diagnostic tools for ascertaining mental health conditions but included measurement(s) of mental health outcomes will be validated measures of PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self-harm, or psychotic-like-experiences. The validation of the tool need not be in the context the study is set in