Adverse Childhood Experiences and Perinatal Mental Health: A Review of Progress and Future Directions

This review includes recent literature on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and perinatal mental health. We summarize key findings, including meta-analytic reviews and emerging data on broad risks for psychopathology, mechanistic pathways, protective factors, and ACEs screening within clinical care contexts.

ACEs are associated with small to moderate risks for perinatal depression and anxiety. There is increasing evidence ACEs are also associated with other mental health concerns and transdiagnostic symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum. Possible mechanistic factors include a range of biological and psychosocial variables. Unique effects of benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) on perinatal mental health are also notable. Continued emphasis on associations between ACEs and perinatal mental health concerns beyond depression and anxiety is needed. More empirical attention to mechanistic and protective factors, including benevolent childhood experiences, is also warranted. Although ACEs screening in clinical settings may be feasible and acceptable, implementation should occur within a healing centered engagement framework.