Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been linked to a host of negative outcomes in adolescence. However, research on the impact of ACEs on adolescent mental health has produced mixed results, leaving it unclear how ACEs may relate to depression and anxiety during adolescence. Moreover, this body of work has neglected how gender, risk and protective factors may influence these relationships, despite research demonstrating gender differences in both responses to adversity and in the impact of risk and protective factors on maladaptive outcomes in adolescence. Drawing on a sample of at-risk youth from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 2455; age 14–18; 48 % female, 50 % Black, 23 % Hispanic), the current study examines the association between ACEs during early childhood (i.e., ages 1 to 5) and anxious and depressive tendencies reported during adolescence. Models are stratified by gender and incorporate six types of teenage risk and protective factors (peer bullying, delinquent peers, low self-control, parental attachment, collective efficacy, and school connectedness). Results showed support for gender differences in the associations between ACEs and boys' and girls' mental health symptoms. Initially, ACEs were associated with an increased risk of both depressive and anxious tendencies in boys, but the total ACEs score was only significantly associated with an increased risk for depressive symptoms in girls. After accounting for teenage protective factors, ACEs were related to a decreased risk of depressive and anxious symptoms among girls only. Findings have important implications for refining intervention and prevention strategies focusing on mitigating the harms of ACEs.

不良童年经历（ACE）与青春期的许多负面结果有关。然而，关于 ACE 对青少年心理健康影响的研究得出了不同的结果，因此尚不清楚 ACE 与青春期抑郁和焦虑之间的关系。此外，尽管研究表明对逆境的反应以及风险和保护因素对青春期适应不良结果的影响存在性别差异，但这项工作忽视了性别、风险和保护因素如何影响这些关系。当前的研究借鉴了脆弱家庭和儿童福祉研究中的高危青少年样本（ N = 2455；年龄 14-18；48% 女性，50% 黑人，23% 西班牙裔），探讨了早期阶段 ACE 之间的关联。童年（即 1 至 5 岁）以及青春期期间报告的焦虑和抑郁倾向。模型按性别分层，并纳入六种类型的青少年风险和保护因素（同伴欺凌、犯罪同伴、低自控力、父母依恋、集体效能和学校联系）。结果显示 ACE 与男孩和女孩心理健康症状之间的关联存在性别差异。最初，ACE 与男孩抑郁和焦虑倾向的风险增加相关，但 ACE 总分仅与女孩抑郁症状风险增加显着相关。考虑到青少年的保护因素后，ACE 仅与女孩抑郁和焦虑症状风险降低相关。研究结果对于完善以减轻 ACE 危害为重点的干预和预防策略具有重要意义。