Adverse childhood experiences in early life increase the odds of depression among adults with multiple sclerosis

Background Adverse childhood experiences are demonstrated risk factors for depression, a common co-morbidity of multiple sclerosis, but are understudied among people with multiple sclerosis. Objective Estimate the association between adverse childhood experiences and depression among 1,990 adults with multiple sclerosis. Methods Participants were members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California from two studies between 2006 and 2021 and were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis by a neurologist. Adverse childhood experiences were assessed using two instruments, including the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Participants self-reported ever experiencing a major depressive episode. Meta-analysis random effects models and logistic regression were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and a history of depression across study samples. Adverse childhood experiences were expressed as any/none, individual events, and counts. Models adjusted for sex, birth year, race, and ethnicity. Results Exposure to any adverse childhood experiences increased the odds of depression in people with multiple sclerosis (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.21–2.42). Several individual adverse childhood experiences were also strongly associated with depression, including “significant abuse or neglect” (OR: 2.79, 95% CI: 2.11–3.68). Conclusion Findings suggest that adverse childhood experiences are associated with depression among people with multiple sclerosis. Screening for depression should be done regularly, especially among people with multiple sclerosis with a history of adverse childhood experiences.