Adverse Childhood Experiences in Patients Admitted with Depression at A Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan

Objective: To consider adverse childhood experiences in patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan with depressive disorder. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan from Sep 2018 to Aug 2020. Methodology: All the patients who were admitted to the psychiatry ward of the hospital after being diagnosed with depression were included in the study. Detailed history and mental state examination were carried out on all patients by a psychiatrist, and the adverse childhood experience questionnaire was administered. Results: Out of 400 patients admitted with a diagnosis of depressive episode in the hospital during the study period, 59(14.75%) were males, and 341(85.25%) were females. The mean age of the study participants was 39.49±8.926 years. 153(38.25%) did not have significant adverse childhood experiences, while 247(61.75%) had significant adverse childhood experiences. The severity of depressive episodes and substance use had a statistically significant relationship with the presence of significant adverse childhood experiences in our study participants (p-value<0.001). Conclusion: The presence of significant adverse childhood experiences was alarmingly high in patients admitted with a depressive episode in our study. These experiences were associated with the more severe forms of depressive illness and comorbid illicit substance use.