Childhood experiences and adult psychosocial functioning

Various studies have shown statistically significant associations between adverse experiences in childhood and abnormal psychosocial functioning in early adult life. It should not be assumed that this finding necessarily means an enduring effect of early experience. Part of the explanation is that adverse environments tend to be persistent and, hence, that what is being reflected is simply continuity in risk factors. But even when such continuity is taken into account, substantial associations over time remain. Using data from two long-term longitudinal studies a variety of possible mediating mechanisms are considered and shown to be operative. These include: an immediate effect leading to emotional/behavioural disturbance in childhood that then persists into adult life (this mechanism may be more important than appreciated hitherto, because heterotypic continuity has concealed the strength of the persistence of disturbance); one risk environment increasing the likelihood of occurrence of a second, different risk environment; the establishment of patterns of behaviour that bring about later risk environments; and the development of an increased vulnerability to later risk environments.