The Role of Socioeconomic Interventions in Reducing Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences: a Systematic Review

Purpose of ReviewAdverse childhood experiences (ACE) are associated with key risk factors for adult morbidity and mortality. Most interventions to date target proximal risk factors and do not account for the structural determinants shaping the risk of childhood adversity. This review summarizes recent findings regarding the impact of socioeconomic interventions on ACE.Recent FindingsThirty-five percent of reviewed socioeconomic interventions reported reductions in exposure to ACE. Effect sizes were modest for family financial problems, adverse parenting, household mental illness, child maltreatment and neglect; moderate to high for exposure to domestic violence, Home score, parental separation, childhood physical abuse and household criminality; and strongest for childhood victimization and substance abuse. Housing, conditional cash transfer and income supplementation interventions were the most promising interventions.SummaryCurrent evidence suggests that upstream interventions can contribute to the reduction of ACE. Future research should expand this work beyond developed countries using robust evaluation designs.