Adverse childhood experiences and allostatic load: A systematic review

Sabine Finlay; Cody Roth; Tiansha Zimsen; Tahnee Lee Bridson; Zoltan Sarnyai; Brett McDermott

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104605

Adverse childhood experiences and allostatic load: A systematic review

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2022 May:136:104605. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104605. Epub 2022 Mar 9.

Authors

Sabine Finlay¹, Cody Roth², Tiansha Zimsen³, Tahnee Lee Bridson⁴, Zoltan Sarnyai², Brett McDermott³

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; College of Public Health, Medical & Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: sabine.finlay1@my.jcu.edu.au.
² Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; College of Public Health, Medical & Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia.
³ College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
⁴ North-West Mental Health, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia; Fireside Research, Woodbridge Tasmania, Australia.

PMID: 35278597
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104605

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful and/or traumatic experiences associated with an increased lifetime risk of negative health outcomes. The Allostatic Load (AL) is a measure of multisystem dysregulation, resulted by chronic stress. We systematically reviewed the English language literature on the association between ACEs and AL to identify the clinical risk profile, with the exclusion of reviews and preclinical studies. Searches covered the publication period up to the 1^st of February 2022 and identified 25 studies in which ACEs such as maltreatment, abuse, poverty, psychological abuse, and discrimination were investigated in the context of AL. The selected studies used different sets of AL biomarkers resulting in substantial heterogenicity of calculating the AL index. Overall, we found that ACEs are associated with elevated AL and poorer health outcomes in adulthood. Furthermore, health risk behaviors, social support, and coping resources either moderate or mediate this association. These findings suggest that targeting individuals at risk and starting interventions early might reduce AL and its deleterious health consequences.

Keywords: Adverse childhood experiences; Allostatic Load; Mental health.

Publication types

Review
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Adult
Adverse Childhood Experiences*
Allostasis* / physiology
Child
Child Abuse* / psychology
Humans
Social Support