Association between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Disorders among Adolescents in Kenya, Indonesia, and Vietnam: Evidence from National Adolescent Mental Health Surveys.

Yohannes Dibaba Wado, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Anne Njeri, African Population and Health Research Center
Sally Odunga, African Population and Health Research Center
Isaiah Akuku, African Population and Health Research Center
Amirah Wahdi, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Shoshanna Fine, 4. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
Astha Ramaiya, 4. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
Mengmeng Li, Johns Hopkins University
Vu Loi, Institute of Sociology, Thai Ha, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam
Joemer Maravilla, 6. School of Public Healt The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia
James Scott, 7. Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, QLD, Australia
Holly Erskine, 7. Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, QLD, Australia
Caroline W. Kabiru, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

The study assessed the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their association with mental disorders. We used data from nationally representative household surveys of mental disorders among adolescents aged 10-17 years conducted in Kenya, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The prevalence of experiencing at least one ACE was high among adolescents in all three countries, with Kenya (65.8%, 95% CI: 64.2 – 67.3) demonstrating higher prevalence than Indonesia (40.1%, 95% CI: 38.4 – 41.9) and Vietnam (36.9%, 95% CI: 35.2 – 38.6). The odds of experiencing a mental disorder in the past 12 months increased as the number of ACEs increased in all three countries. This was most apparent among those experiencing four or more ACEs. The current study demonstrated that ACEs are common among adolescents in LMICs and are significantly associated with mental disorders. The prevention of ACEs may be a key avenue for reducing the risk of mental disorders in adolescence.