Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma Exposure Across the Lifespan on Social Cognitive Functioning and Amygdala Volume in a Sample of Precariously Housed Adults

Precariously housed individuals are exposed to a multitude of adverse factors, which significantly increase their vulnerability to negative outcomes. The main objective of the current study was to investigate the impact of adverse childhood experience (ACEs) and lifespan trauma exposure on social cognitive functioning, including affective decision-making and theory of mind (ToM) abilities in a sample of precariously housed adults. Furthermore, the study aimed to explore the association between ACEs and lifespan trauma on the amygdala volume. The results revealed that a greater number of traumatic exposures throughout the lifespan were associated with enhanced affective decision-making and ToM abilities. However, it was found that ACEs did not significantly impact social cognitive performances. Furthermore, no significant relationships were observed between ACEs, lifespan trauma, and the volume of the amygdala. These findings shed light on the existence of inherent resilience factors within adverse experiences that can potentially mitigate negative outcomes.