6.41 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): A Meta-Analysis of Prevalence and Moderators Among Half a Million Adults in 206 Samples

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), referring to abuse, neglect, and maltreatment experienced prior to 18 years of age, contributes to the global burden of disease and disability. Published 25 years ago, the original ACEs questionnaire examines respondents’ exposure to various forms of child maltreatment. However, no cross-study estimate of the multicategory prevalence of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4+ ACEs in general population samples exists, to our knowledge. Thus, the present meta-analysis provides the first quantitative synthesis of the prevalence of ACEs in general population adult samples and examines differences across moderators.