Abstract Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are defined as experiences in childhood that increase the likelihood of people engaging in maladaptive behaviors, such as using tobacco or illicit drugs. The current study surveyed 115 undergraduates enrolled at a mid-sized Midwestern University to examine the prevalence of and relationships between adverse childhood experiences and substance use behaviors among college students. A factor analysis was conducted on this college sample to determine how the ACE-10 items were structured. Findings revealed that most students had experienced at least one type of ACE, and that parental divorce was the most ubiquitous form. Results also demonstrated that students who had used a substance at least once in their lifetime experienced more types of ACEs than those who had never used a substance. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
Wren et al. (Thu,) studied this question.