A-130: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Executive Functioning in Adulthood

Abstract

Objective: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are considered potentially traumatic events that can affect the development of the prefrontal cortex in children and adolescents, leading to executive dysfunction (ED). Much of the current literature on ACEs discuss the effects in childhood and health effects in adulthood. The purposes of the present study was to better understand the effects of ACEs on executive functioning in adulthood. Method/Data Selection: This study had 94 participants, recruited from social networking sites (SNS) who responded to the ACEs Adult Questionnaire and the Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale, Fourth Edition (BAARS-IV), Current and Childhood Questionnaires. Results/Data Synthesis: ACEs scores were compared to BAARS Current scores showing a higher number of ACEs causes more ED in adulthood. BAARS Childhood scores were compared to BAARS current scores showing ED in childhood continues into adulthood. Results indicated moderate correlations between ACEs and childhood ED (r= .454, p= <.001), adulthood ED (r= .502, p= <.001, and childhood ED and adulthood ED (r= .697, p= <.001). Conclusions: Overall findings suggest that ACEs are related to challenges in executive functioning in adulthood. However, repetition of this study is needed, possibly a longitudinal study using objective executive functioning measures.