The long shadow of accumulating adverse childhood experiences on mental health in the United Arab Emirates: implications for policy and practice

Anthony Murphy; Dawn England; Iffat Elbarazi; Neal Horen; Toby Long; Zeina Ismail-Allouche; Cairo Arafat

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1397012

The long shadow of accumulating adverse childhood experiences on mental health in the United Arab Emirates: implications for policy and practice

Front Public Health. 2024 Jul 19:12:1397012. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1397012. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Anthony Murphy¹, Dawn England², Iffat Elbarazi³, Neal Horen⁴, Toby Long⁴, Zeina Ismail-Allouche⁵, Cairo Arafat⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Psychology, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, United Kingdom.
² School of Education, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, United Kingdom.
³ College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
⁴ Center for Child and Human Development, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States.
⁵ Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁶ Early Childhood Authority, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Abstract

Introduction: This study investigates the cumulative effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on adult depression, anxiety, and stress in Abu Dhabi, controlling for demographic factors, lifestyle, and known health and mental health diagnoses.

Methods: Utilizing a cross-sectional design and self-report measures, the research aims to fill a critical gap in understanding the specific impacts of ACEs in the UAE. Based on a multi-site, cross-sectional community sample of 697 residents of Abu Dhabi.

Results: The findings reveal significant variances in current screening values for depression, anxiety, and stress attributable to ACEs after controlling for demographic factors, lifestyle risk factors, and adult diagnoses of health and mental health conditions.

Discussion: The results underline the lifelong impact of ACEs and reinforce the importance of early identification and intervention. In particular, the implications for policy and practice in understanding and mitigating ACEs long-term effects on mental health are considered.

Keywords: United Arab Emirates; adult outcomes; adverse childhood experiences; child abuse; child neglect.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Adverse Childhood Experiences* / statistics & numerical data
Anxiety*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Depression* / epidemiology
Depression* / psychology
Female
Humans
Male
Mental Health* / statistics & numerical data
Middle Aged
Risk Factors
Self Report
Stress, Psychological / psychology
United Arab Emirates
Young Adult

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the Early Childhood Authority (ECA) of Abu Dhabi, UAE (Contract number: ECA 2020/035). Representatives of the ECA assisted in the study design; the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, the writing of the report; and the decision to submit the article for publication.