Adverse Childhood Experiences and Treatment-Resistant Depression

Are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) associated with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) after accounting for unmeasured familial confounding?In this cohort study of 21 192 twins, each additional ACE exposure was associated with a higher risk of TRD, with associations remaining in co-twin control analyses that controlled for familial confounding. Physical neglect and sexual abuse in particular showed a greater magnitude of associations, with each ACE conferring a higher risk of TRD compared with no ACE.The finding that ACEs are associated with increased TRD risk independent of familial factors suggests ACE history may help identify individuals with major depressive disorder at high risk for treatment resistance.

Corresponding Author: Ying Xiong, PhD, MMedSc, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 12A, Solna, Sweden 171 77 (ying.xiong@ki.se).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.