The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

There is increasing evidence to suggest that children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are more prone to developing long-term pain issues compared to their peers who have not experienced ACEs. However, there is still a need for more research on the psychological and social risk factors that contribute to chronic pain conditions in children and adolescents. Unlike research on adults, the association between psychological and social risk factors and pain-related outcomes during childhood and adolescence is a relatively new area that has limited research. The current study assessed the association between parental report of lifetime chronic pain in children and adolescents and specific ACEs pertaining to interpersonal stress in families. The association was examined using archival data from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). A logistic regression was used to predict the outcome of the dependent variable (chronic pain) based on the probability of the independent variable (ACEs exposure). The results suggest that exposure to ACEs increases the odds of experiencing chronic pain by 1.5 times for children and adolescents. These findings indicate that addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) could be an important approach to reducing chronic pain conditions. Additionally, regularly evaluating ACEs during childhood could offer valuable information about the psychological and social factors that contribute to this type of pain condition.