The co-occurrence of adverse childhood experiences and mental health among Latina/o adults: A latent class analysis approach

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to poor mental health among Latina/os. Few studies, however, have attempted to understand the extent to which ACEs co-occur and whether different forms of ACE co-occurrence differentially shape poor mental health patterns among Latina/os. The present study begins to address this gap by (1) identifying latent classes of ACEs and (2) determining whether and how different ACE classes shape high depressive symptoms among Latina/o adults. Data were drawn from two waves of the His-panic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, a longitudinal, community-based sample of Latina/os living in four urban communities. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to identify subgroups of Latina/os who were exposed to co-occurring forms of maltreatment. Results from the LCA revealed four classes: (1) high ACEs, (2) emotional and physical abuse, (3) low ACEs, and (4) household alcohol/drug use and parental separation/ divorce. Regression analyses indicate, when compared to the low ACEs class, Latina/os in the high ACEs class and emotional/physical abuse class were more likely to report high depressive symptoms. Findings from this study demonstrate ACEs co-occur in distinct classes of maltreatment and different combinations of ACEs uniquely shape the risk of poor mental health among Latina/os. Results from this study can help inform tailored mental health interventions for Latina/os that have a history of ACE exposure.