Association between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Prevalent Depressive Symptoms among Secondary School Students in Thailand

Objective: To describe the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and its association with prevalent depression among Thailand secondary school students.Material and Methods: We analyzed data from the 5th National School Survey on Alcohol, Tobacco, Substance Use and Health-Risk Behaviors. Univariate descriptive statistics to present general information regarding the sample; such as age, gender, social, economic, and family characteristics and prevalence of ACEs and depressive symptoms was used. Bivariable descriptive statistics and regression analyses assessing extent and association between ACEs and depression was used. Results: From 23,659 students participating in the survey (n=23,659), there were 7,131 that answered questions regarding ACEs. Students having had experienced at least one ACE had significantly higher odds of prevalent depression compared to those without any adverse experiences (32% vs. 8%; Adjusted OR=4.65; 95% CI=3.94, 5.49). The more types of adverse experiences, the greater the odds of depression; i.e., results suggested a linear relationship between number of ACEs and likelihood of depression.Conclusion: Significant association between ACEs and prevalent depression among Thailand secondary school students was found, indicating a linear relationship. However, issues; including question comprehension and providing inaccurate answers could have led to under- or over-reporting of ACEs or depressive symptoms. Future studies should consider methods to potentially reduce errors; including conducting face-to-face interviews or online surveys.