Adverse childhood experiences, traumatic events, and mental health among adults at two outpatient psychiatric facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa: a cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences and adult trauma, including sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and interpersonal violence, are highly prevalent in low-resource settings and associated with adverse psychological outcomes. However, there is limited focus on the impact of ACEs and trauma on mental health in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study examines the impact of traumatic events and ACEs on depression, anxiety, and stress scores among outpatients receiving psychiatric care at two public mental health treatment facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa. METHODS: A sample of 309 participants were recruited between January and June 2022 at Helen Joseph Hospital and Alexandra 18th Avenue Clinic. Participants completed screening measures for mental health outcomes, including the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item General Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. We fitted modified Poisson and linear regression models to estimate the impact of ACEs and adult experiences of trauma on depression, anxiety, and stress scale scores. RESULTS: 47.57% (n = 147) of participants screened positive for anxiety, 44.66% (n = 138) for depression, and 17% (n = 54) for severe stress. More females screened positive for anxiety (65.31%), depression (65.94%), and stress (77.78%). Each ACE was associated with a 12% increased risk of depression, a 10% increased risk of anxiety, and a 17% increased risk of stress. In separately estimated models, each additional traumatic event during adulthood was associated with a 16% increased risk for depression, an 8% increased risk of anxiety, and a 26% increased risk of stress. Across all models, being male and self-reported physical health were consistently associated with a reduced risk for depression, anxiety, and stress. CONCLUSIONS: ACEs and experiences of traumatic events as adults were associated with significantly increased risks of anxiety, depression, and severe stress. Given high exposure to ACEs and trauma and the associated impact on the mental health of individuals, families, and communities, there is a need to strengthen and scale innovative combination interventions that address multiple stressors impacting people in low-resource settings. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12888-023-05085-0.