O-12 Adverse Childhood Experiences among English-Speaking Caribbean Adults Raised Without Corporal Punishment in the Home
Author(s):
L Mohammed , ED. Thomas , J Noel , T Murray, R Isaac, C Belmar-Roberts , R Evans , R Waechter , B Landon
Year of Presentation:
2024
Objective: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur during childhood and increase the risk of mental illness and poor physical health outcomes. Most research on ACEs has been conducted in high-income countries (HICs). The objective of this study was to provide insights on ACEs in a sample of Englishspeaking Caribbean adults raised without corporal punishment (CP) in the home.
Methods: Fifty-eight participants completed an online questionnaire that included an adapted version of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q). Thirtyfour participants also participated in a qualitative interview that further explored ACEs in a wider context.
Results: From the ACE-Q, 70.5% of participants reported at least one ACE. While parental separation or divorce was the most common ACE (37.9 %), ACEs were also experienced in school and community settings, as illustrated by interview excerpts. Although the item on sexual abuse was excluded from the questionnaire, six participants disclosed experiences during qualitative interviews.
Conclusion: ACEs in the home are prevalent in Caribbean countries, even in populations who were raised without CP in the home. It is possible that our study population, as a self-identified sample who did not experience CP in the home, experienced fewer ACEs than the general population in this setting. This will need to be explored in future studies. Findings from this study indicate that future studies should include assessment of ACEs in the school and community settings, and include standard items on ACEs related to sexual abuse or violence.