Multiple adverse childhood experiences and mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood: New systematic review protocol assessing causality
Research suggests that adverse childhood experiences can have a lasting influence on children’s development that result in poorer health outcomes in adulthood. Like other exposure-outcome relationships, however, there is uncertainty about the extent to which the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and health is causal or attributable to other factors.
The aim of this systematic review is to better understand the nature and extent of the evidence available to infer a causal relationship between adverse childhood experiences and health outcomes in adulthood.
A comprehensive search for articles will be conducted in four databases (Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo and Web of Science) and Google Scholar. The team, led by Dr Lisa Jones of Liverpool John Moores University, and includes VISION researchers Professor Mark Bellis and Professor Sally McManus, will review studies published since 2014:
- of adults aged 16 years or over with exposure to adverse childhood experiences before age 16 years from general population samples;
- that report measures across multiple categories of childhood adversity, including both direct and indirect types; and
- report outcomes related to disease morbidity and mortality.
To download the protocol: Interpreting evidence on the association between multiple adverse childhood experiences and mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood: protocol for a systematic review assessing causality
To cite: Jones L, Bellis MA, Butler N, et al. Interpreting evidence on the association between multiple adverse childhood experiences and mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood: protocol for a systematic review assessing causality. BMJ Open 2025;15:e091865. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091865
For further information, please contact Lisa at l.jones1@ljmu.ac.uk
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