TY - JOUR PY - 2010// TI - The prevalence of childhood adversity among healthcare workers and its relationship to adult life events, distress and impairment JO - Child abuse and neglect A1 - Maunder, Robert G. A1 - Péladeau, Nathalie A1 - Savage, Diane A1 - Lancee, William J. SP - 114 EP - 123 VL - 34 IS - 2 N2 - OBJECTIVE: We investigated the prevalence of childhood adversity among healthcare workers and if such experiences affect responses to adult life stress. METHODS: A secondary analysis was conducted of a 2003 study of 176 hospital-based healthcare workers, which surveyed lifetime traumatic events, recent life events, psychological distress, coping, social support, and days off work due to stress or illness. RESULTS: Sixty eight percent (95% CI 61.1-74.9) of healthcare workers had one or more experience of violence, abuse or neglect, 33% (95% CI 26.1-40.0) before the age of 13. Compared to healthcare workers who did not experience childhood adversity, those who did reported more recent life events (median 11 vs. 5 over the previous 6 months, p<.001) and greater psychological distress (median score 17 vs. 13, p<.001). The relationship between life events and psychological distress was not linear. Most healthcare workers without childhood adversity (73%) reported a low number of life events which were not associated with psychological distress. Most healthcare workers with childhood adversity (81%) reported a higher number of life events, for which the correlation between events and distress was moderately strong (Spearman's rho=.50, p<.001). Childhood adversity was also associated with more missed work days. Each of these outcomes was higher in 22 healthcare workers (13%) who had experienced more than one type of childhood adversity. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood adversity is common among healthcare workers and is associated with a greater number of life events, more psychological distress and impairment.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0145-2134 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2009.04.008 ID - ref1 ER -