EFFECTS OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES ON DEPRESSION AND SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY.

Objective: To investigate adverse childhood experiences with depression and suicidal ideation among Pakistani adults. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, a convenient sampling method was used to collect information from 400 participants. In this study, both males and females (n=200) between the ages of 20 and 50 were considered. We recruited 400 people from Peshawar's drug recovery institutes and 400 people from other institutions (Pakistan). Each person who agreed to take part received a booklet with demographic questions, the ACEs-IQ (= 0.86), the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D, =0.76), and the Suicidal Behavior Risk-R (α=0.76) questionnaires. Results: The dataset was examined using a t-test and a regression analysis. In this study, 44% of the subjects reported having traumatic events in their formative years. Moreover, a t-test reveals a significant difference between ACEs patients and non-ACEs sufferers on depression (t= -18.27, P .001) and suicidal thoughts (t= -11.81, P .001). Regression analysis indicated a relationship between home dysfunction and depression and between household dysfunction and suicidal thoughts [F (3,175) = 12.439, P.001, R2.176]. Conclusion: The results of the study concluded that 44% of the participants experienced ACEs as children. Significant predictors of depression and suicidal thoughts include family dysfunction and emotional neglect. However, sexual abuse is underreported in the present investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]