Quality of Life as a Protective Factor Against Substance Misuse Among Adults with a History of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACEs, are a major public health concern. ACEs are defined as stressful or traumatic events in early life that range from parental separation to all forms of abuse and neglect, as well as household dysfunction (e.g., living in a home with substance misuse). The current body of scholarly literature shows that ACEs have long lasting effects on both physical and mental health through a person’s life. Research also illustrates a dose-response relationship between the number of ACEs and the number of risk behaviors, such as substance misuse, that a person may exhibit. Quality of life refers to a person’s self-perceived well-being and includes mental, emotional, physical, and sexual health. Quality of life, synonymous with well-being is associated with numerous health benefits including reduced risk of disease, better immune function, and increased life expectancy. This study seeks to determine if quality of life is a protective factor against substance misuse in adults who report ACEs. In line with the current body of knowledge, we hypothesize that adults within the study sample with a higher number of ACEs will exhibit higher rates of tobacco use, alcohol use, and drug use. We also hypothesize that participants with ACEs who rate a higher quality of life score will be less likely to use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs; as compared to those who rate a lower quality of life. Participants (N=766, age 18-55) were recruited through the REACH (Religion, Emotions, and Current Health) survey study. Data on ACEs will be collected from the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Questionnaire which measures the number of traumatic experiences during the first eighteen years of life. Data on substance use will be collected via the Tobacco Questionnaire dichotomously (yes or no), the AUDIT scale on alcohol use which measures the frequency and quantity of consumption, and the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) which measures drug use in the last twelve months. Quality of Life will be measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life WHOQOL-BREF. Quality of life will also be examined using two subscales, overall quality of life and perceived social support. All data was collected via self-reporting. Bivariate and multivariate analyses will be conducted using SPSS. To examine the potential moderating effect of quality of life, a hierarchical multiple regression will be conducted, specifically the simple moderation from the PROCESS macro for SPSS. We predict that those who perceive a higher quality of life, despite early life adversity, will report less frequency in alcohol, tobacco, and drug consumption. Conversely, we predict that those who perceive a lower quality of life will exhibit higher rates of health-related risk behaviors, specifically substance misuse